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WESTPORT, Conn. U.S. Rep. Jim Himes' visit to Compo Beach was not for pleasure Monday afternoon. The Democratic congressman was touring areas in his 4th District damaged during Tropical Storm Irene.
Accompanied by Westport First Selectman Gordon Joseloff, Fire Chief Andrew Kingsbury and Deputy Fire Chief Jon Gottfried, Himes was shown how portions of the boardwalk in front of the Compo Beach pavilion were washed out of place by the storm surge. From the beach, he walked up Soundview Drive and saw where a portion of the road separated from the seawall.
In addition to seeing the damage, Himes also heard from area residents, including Danbury Avenue resident Teri Klein.
"There was water all in the street," Klein told Himes. "Luckily, it didn't go into my house. There was a little property damage, but not like I expected, and not inside the house."
During the storm, Klein stayed with her daughter in New Haven. She told Joseloff and Himes that she evacuated because the storm was slated to hit at about high tide Sunday and having "been here enough years," she knew there would be flooding.
As he continued to walk along Soundview Drive, Himes met residents Michele Williams and her husband Mark Loughridge, who were cleaning out household items damaged in the flooding.
"The storm surge was about 9 feet high," Williams said. Although her home was hit by floodwaters, Williams said she, like Klein, felt the damage could have been worse.
Himes also said the area's damage was "lighter than we expected." However, Himes said he believes the damage is substantial enough to meet the threshold for federal aid from the Federal Emergency Management Agency.
Joseloff said it is too early to know how much money Irene cost the town in damages.
Is there any damage at your home? Leave a comment below!
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