Residents say flooding in the north end of Hartford has been especially bad recently, but it’s a long-standing problem that leaders say has no easy solution.
“We have a storm sewer system, not just here in Hartford, not just in the Hartford region but around the state and probably around the country, that’s built for a different era, and what that means is that all too often we are going to see that system overwhelmed by these increasingly severe and frequent storms,” Hartford Mayor Luke Bronin said.
The state’s new Hartford Flood Compensation Program is about helping as many people as possible while the state and Metropolitan District Commission work to fix infrastructure issues in the area.
“This announcement today is not about a fix to the problem, it’s about relief to those affected by the problem,” Bronin said.
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Lloyd Francis has lived in Hartford for 31 years. He says flooding has always been an issue.
“I don’t know how long I can keep it up, because every time it floods out there I have to be cleaning out the basement,” Francis said.
On Thursday, state leaders provided details on how the $5 million program will work.
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“We’re talking about an issue that has occurred for years, so we know that this is not a magical fix, but we know that it’s a beginning,” Blue Hills Civic Association Executive Director Vicki Gallon-Clark said.
Starting Sept. 1, residents or business owners in Hartford can apply to get flood relief for storm damage that happened from Jan. 1, 2021 through now and beyond.
“Once we are able to determine eligibility that somebody is eligible, meaning they are a resident of Hartford and that they own property here or they own a business here, they will be approved by Dr. Rhule, within 30 days of them doing that to go and get an inspection,” State Comptroller Sean Scanlon said.
That inspection will be carried out by a licensed adjuster, with the help of the Metropolitan District Commission. Scanlon said people can select their own adjuster, as long as he or she is licensed by the Department of Consumer Protection.
“The residents and homeowners, church congregation members, they need relief from the storms that are happening now, while, as the mayor said, the work gets underway, the important work gets underway to fix the underlying infrastructure and those underlying problems,” Scanlon said.
He said the process takes about 60 days, and that there is no cap on how much a person can receive. Right now, they estimate roughly 1,000 people are in need of assistance.
“To the extent that we find out that there’s more homeowners than we thought, we can go in and appropriate additional funds,” Speaker of the House Matt Ritter (D) said.
Those looking to apply can do so online, in person or by mail with help from the Blue Hills Civic Association, which is administering this program. More information on how to apply can be found here.
