45°
Locals with serious storm damage and a shortage of funds for repairs will be happy to hear that Governor Rell is expanding her request to President Obama for a Presidential Major Disaster Declaration to broaden the area designated "hardest-hit" by March's extreme weather. Rell announced today that she is asking for financial assistance to individual businesses and homeowners in five counties: Fairfield, Middlesex,New Haven, New London and Windham.
This is critical news for homeowners and employers, Governor Rell said. It offers them a financial lifeline to recover from storm damage. If this request is approved and I have every reason to believe it will be then the federal government will step in to help hard-pressed Connecticut residents and business owners recover from these devastating storms. I will be working closely with officials in Washington to move the process along as quickly as possible."
There are two types of post-disaster federal aid available. Public Assistance (PA) aids state and local governments with costs such as fire and police department overtime and Individual Assistance (IA) helps homeowners cover uninsured losses. An initial survey estimated public sector losses in the Fairfield and New London counties alone at about $11 million.
Last week, Rell announced that Connecticut families who receive Food Stamps are eligible for replacement benefits if their food spoiled due to flooding or other disaster-related factors. Recipients can call the state's Infoline toll-free at 2-1-1 and learn out how to get a form to fill in and send to the State Department of Social Services. The deadline for applying for the extra help is 10 days from the date the food was lost.
Click here to follow Daily Voice Norwalk and receive free news updates.
