STATE OF CONNECTICUT

DEPARTMENT OF

EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT AND HOMELAND SECURITY

 

  

PRESS RELEASE

July 21, 2009

Contact:  Scott DeVico (860) 256-0813

 

The Connecticut Department of Emergency Management and Homeland Security (DEMHS), working closely with the municipalities affected by the storms that occurred in late June and early July, today announced preliminary damage data which indicates that the State is not expected to be eligible for the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Individual Assistance or Public Assistance programs.  DEMHS is continuing to gather additional information from small businesses across the affected areas in order to determine whether those businesses may be eligible for low interest loans through the federal Small Business Administration’s Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) Program.

 

On June 29, 2009, Governor M. Jodi Rell requested a FEMA preliminary damage assessment (PDA) “as the result of an EF1 tornado, heavy winds, rain and hail associated with severe thunderstorms . . . on June 26, 2009.”  A FEMA Individual Assistance PDA team came to Connecticut, reviewed the affected areas, and determined that the impact to the community, as defined under the FEMA guidelines, was insufficient for the State to receive FEMA Individual Assistance.  The FEMA Individual Assistance Program provides up to $30,300 in assistance to eligible applicants. 

 

DEMHS also collected data from the affected municipalities and state agencies to determine if the state was eligible for FEMA Public Assistance, which provides assistance to repair public property such as roads, buildings, and parks.  Below are the preliminary data totals, with the FEMA thresholds, which demonstrate that the State fails to meet federal thresholds for support under the FEMA Public Assistance Program:

 

Hartford County total damage is $1,796,923.35.    Federal threshold is $2,811,560.   Shortfall is $1,014,636.65

 

New London County damage total is $352,171.59.   Federal threshold is $849,808.64. Shortfall is $ 497,637.05

 

Statewide total damage for June 26 – July 1 is $ 2,434,302.12.  Federal threshold is $ 4,461,341.  Shortfall is  $2,027,038.88 

 

DEMHS is continuing to collect information from small businesses impacted by the storms to determine if there is sufficient economic injury to request a federal declaration under the Small Business Administration's Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) Program. SBA will consider a request for an EIDL declaration, within 120 days of the event, upon the receipt of a Governor's Certification that businesses in the affected area suffered substantial economic injury and are in need of financial assistance not otherwise available on reasonable terms.  Any small business that  suffered uninsured damage or losses  but has not yet submitted information may contact the appropriate DEMHS Regional Coordinator, whose contact information can be found at www.ct.gov/demhs.

 

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