People who live and work in Hartford’s North End are bracing for the flooding that they often experience with incoming storms.
Since it happens so frequently in that neighborhood, many have applied for the Hartford Flood Compensation Program, including the Collin Bennett Building on Albany Avenue.
The community building flooded at least four times last year, according Hopeton McLean, Collin Bennett Building maintenance supervisor.
The entryway is below street level, so when drains back up and the area fills with water, it gushes through the front and back entry doors and into the ground floor.
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“The entire first floor flooded. “It’s real bad,” McLean said in a cell phone video he recorded of the flooded ground floor of the Collin Bennett building last Fourth of July.
“Water came into the bathroom. That was like a mud,” McLean tells NBC Connecticut.
He is the maintenance supervisor who gets stuck cleaning up the muddy mess several times a year.
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“We have to get extra help,” McLean said. “It costs extra money because we have to pay the guys. Sometimes we use at least six guys.”
McLean also said North United Methodist Church next door, which owns the Bennett Building, has been submerged multiple times in recent years. In one instance, the seats of chairs were completely covered.
When the flood waters rush in, it can leave the medical, law, and nonprofit offices in the Bennett Building in a tough spot.
“Some of the tenants, then they have to stop work for the day,” McLean said. "Somebody who's using a wheelchair probably wouldn't have access for the elevator."
It’s why 12-pound sandbags are on standby, meant to offer some protection when the drains outside the entryways clog.
“When the water starts bubble, we are in problem,” McLean said about the backed-up drains.
McLean said the Bennett Building took another step, too: applying for the Hartford Flood Compensation Program.
“The application was approved,” he said.
The $5 million pilot program opened Sept. 1, 2023 to Hartford residents and business owners who have experienced flood damage since 2021.
The State Comptroller’s Office reports that as of Jan. 4 of this year, 334 applications have been submitted and reviewed, and 303 of those have been deemed eligible for compensation.
Right now, 206 of those properties are scheduled for on-site inspection. So far, 94 claims have been approved, totaling $1,024,676 in compensation.
Currently, 58 processed payments are in route to applicants. The rest of the approved payments will be mailed out when all paperwork is complete.
McLean said the Bennett Building is waiting to receive $7,500 in compensation. They plan to use the money to buy a sump-pump to help flush out their ongoing problem.
“At least there is hope for the residents of Hartford. Because they’ve been suffering for a while,” McLean said.
Hartford residents and business owners who have experienced damage caused by flooding on or after Jan. 1, 2021 are eligible to apply for the Hartford Flood Compensation Program.
To get reimbursement, property owners who believe they are eligible must either go online to osc.ct.gov/HartfordFlood or go in person to obtain an application at: Blue Hills Civic Association, 1229 Albany Ave., third floor, Suite 306, Hartford, CT 06119. That is located inside The Collin Bennett Building.
Completed applications and supporting documentation can emailed to: HartfordFloodHelp@ct.gov.
They can also be mailed to: Blue Hills Civic Association, or OSC (Attention: Office of the State Comptroller/Hartford Flood Compensation Program) 165 Capitol Ave., Hartford, CT 06106.
Claims will be reviewed by the program administrator. If an applicant is notified that they are eligible for potential reimbursement, the next step is an on-site inspection.
Approved applicants will have payments sent to the residential address listed on the application. There is no deadline for submission, but funds are distributed on a first come, first served basis until they are depleted.
On Tuesday morning, Harford Mayor Arunan Arulampalam will be holding a press conference to share tips for flood preparation in advance of the incoming storm that night into Wednesday morning.
The city asks that people do not push snow into the street to help prevent clogged catch basins and street flooding.
Some of Arulampalam’s storm safety tips include:
- Clear debris from gutters and downspouts
- Move furniture and valuables to a safe place
- Clear debris from the nearest catch basin on the street
- Stay home. Do not go on walks to avoid downed trees and wires
- Move cars away from trees that could drop branches
- Bring patio furniture inside
- Keep flashlights, batteries and non-perishable food on hand, and charge electronic devices
- Fill containers with drinking water and fill bathtub with water to flush toilets
The city also asks drivers to avoid flooded roads, and said anyone who gets trapped in water should call 911.
