Hamden to get $2.4 million from feds for storm cleanup

Nov. 15--HAMDEN -- The town finally will see some federal money for tornado relief efforts.

A year-and-a-half after a tornado touched down in Hamden, wreaking havoc on trees, power lines and property, the town can claim some help from the Federal Emergency Management Agency.

FEMA has granted Hamden $2.4 million for costs incurred in cleaning up debris from the May 2018 storm, according to a release.

Former Gov. Dannel Malloy asked for a federal disaster declaration in July 2018 following the storm in May that damaged hundreds of homes. The request included New Haven and Fairfield counties, where damage met the minimum threshold for federal assistance.

President Donald J. Trump declared the storms a federal disaster Aug. 20, 2018, which allowed towns to be reimbursed for up to 75 percent of eligible costs.

Hamden Public Works Director Craig Cesare said the cleanup has cost about $3 million for all the work related to the storm.

FEMA distributed funding for this project directly to the state, which is responsible for ensuring Hamden receives its portion. Following the state's review process and upon receipt of appropriate documentation, it will provide funds to Hamden on a reimbursable basis, the release said.

The $2,367,745 grant is the federal share of the total project cost -- $3.1 million.

"We're very thankful that we received this significant FEMA grant to reimburse the major costs associated with cleanup efforts needed following the tornado of 2018," Mayor Curt B. Leng said Thursday. "These funds will allow us to cover those expenses without having to do long term borrowing.

"Hamden worked hard to make sure that we had our residents backs in the cleanup effort following that natural disaster," Leng said. "It was the right thing to do to help our residents but it was very expensive. That makes me especially thankful for this major Grant reimbursement."

The storm that tore through Hamden and other parts of the state last year wreaked havoc on homes, cars, roads and parks. Across the state, more than 150,000 people lost power, some for several days. It brought down trees and power lines onto buildings, and sections of Sleeping Giant State Park forest were nearly leveled.

Around 2,000 trees fell in Hamden and another 2,000 fell in Sleeping Giant.

The town worked with United Illuminating on power line damage, and brought in a logging company to help with removing fallen trees in the weeks following the storm.

The grant is funded through FEMA's Public Assistance Grant program, which reimburses communities for actions taken in the immediate response and during recovery from a disaster, according to the release.

Eligible applicants include states, federally recognized tribal governments, U.S. territories, local governments, and certain private nonprofit organizations. The grant applications are submitted from the state, which coordinates the process with local governments.

The town has pushed for legislation that would help homeowners, too, which FEMA has denied.

Just after the storm's anniversary this past May, U.S. Sens. Chris Murphy and Richard Blumenthal, both D-Conn.; and Reps. Rosa DeLauro, D-3, and Jahana Hayes, D-5, reintroduced the DEBRIS Act to lift a ban that prevents federal aid to homeowners for fallen trees and debris incurred during a natural disaster.

The legislation would allow reimbursements to homeowners for the cost of removing storm debris from their properties and require FEMA to factor in such damage when weighing whether to provide aid to people in an area after disasters.

___

(c)2019 the New Haven Register (New Haven, Conn.)

Visit the New Haven Register (New Haven, Conn.) at www.nhregister.com

Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.