Towns asked to document storm costs as Connecticut eyes federal disaster aid

Gov. Ned Lamont is asking Connecticut towns and cities to document storm-related expenses and damage as the state determines whether the July 4 severe thunderstorms were costly enough to qualify for federal disaster aid.

Lamont said the estimates will help state officials decide whether the damage meets FEMA’s threshold for a major presidential disaster declaration for public assistance. He said the state should know within about a week whether the totals rise to the required level.

He also told homeowners to photograph and document damage for insurance claims.

Damage counts and federal aid

The governor made the comments in Hartford after swearing in new state Superior Court judges. His remarks came a day after he toured storm damage in Torrington and Harwinton, two of the northwest communities hit hardest by the storms.

Harwinton and Torrington both declared local states of emergency after the severe weather. The storms left widespread outages and debris across Connecticut, with the hardest-hit areas in the northwest part of the state.

CT Insider previously reported that outages fell from about 100,000 to under 600 as recovery shifted from emergency response to cleanup and debris removal.

Political fallout and next steps

Republican gubernatorial candidate Ryan Fazio criticized Lamont for waiting too long to visit the hardest-hit towns. Lamont said he was trying not to interfere with response crews and was focusing on assessing damage and supporting frontline workers.

Lamont said the state will also review its own response and Eversource’s response after the immediate recovery phase.

The next step is for municipalities to submit damage and expense estimates so state officials can compare the totals against FEMA’s public-assistance thresholds. If Connecticut decides to pursue a major disaster declaration, federal approval would still be required.