Greenwich Post
Greenwich residents may call 211 to report storm damage

May 27, 2007

Gov. M. Jodi Rell is urging Connecticut residents and businesses who suffered significant property damage during April's Nor'easter to contact 211 in order to report damages they sustained in order to support the State of Connecticut's appeal of the FEMA decision to deny individual assistance for Connecticut.

The state's initial request for individual assistance was turned down by
FEMA. In order to prepare an appeal to the federal government,
more information on storm damages is needed.

"We believe there are many residents who may have suffered damage that
was not documented by the FEMA teams during the original damage
assessment," Governor Rell said. "Our appeal can be based only on new
tabulations of damages. Any affected resident who reports their damages
will be buttressing our case for the appeal."

Dialing 211, residents may report storm-related property damage until tomorrow night at midnight. Callers will be asked some very general questions and their information will be turned over to state officials who may contact them for
additional follow-up.
 
"We are trying to identify people whose home or apartments were made uninhabitable or who sustained significant damage to primary living spaces such as bedrooms, bathrooms, kitchens or living rooms - as opposed to routine or nuisance basement flooding which cannot be considered for the revised damage report," Ms. Rell said. "We also encourage people to report damaged furnaces, electrical systems or water heaters."

"In reviewing the storm data it is clear that Connecticut is very fortunate compared to what our neighbors in New York and Maine suffered," said Commissioner James Thomas of the Department of Emergency Management and Homeland Security. "Nonetheless, we want to document all possible damages so that our case for appeal is as strong as possible."

Two weeks ago President George W. Bush signed a declaration of a "major disaster" in Connecticut making local governments and certain non-profit agencies in Fairfield and Litchfield counties eligible for reimbursement of part of the costs they incurred
to cope with the storm and its aftermath.

In addition, all counties in the state are eligible for grants under the Hazard Mitigation program, which pays for actions to prevent or reduce long-term risks to life and property from natural hazards.

However, the announcement did not contain any individual assistance to those property owners whose homes and businesses were damaged. Of the more than $43 million in costs associated with the storm, more than $31 million were attributed to private property losses.

The 211 program of the United Way of Connecticut is a funded partnership of the Connecticut United Ways and the State of Connecticut. It provides toll-free information, referral and crisis hotline support 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.




© Copyright 2007 by Hersam Acorn Newspapers