Gov. Ned Lamont requests major disaster declaration for damage caused by remnants of Hurricane Ida

Gov. Ned Lamont submitted a request to President Joe Biden Friday seeking his approval for a major disaster declaration for damage caused in Connecticut by the remnants of Hurricane Ida this past September.

Ida, which drenched Connecticut in unrelenting rain, flooded homes and businesses, overwhelmed state infrastructure and resulted in the death of state police Sgt. Brian Mohl, who was working an overnight shift when his vehicle was swept away by a flash flood.

“The extraordinarily heavy rain from this storm resulted in extensive flooding across Connecticut, overwhelming federal, state, and local roads, and flooding hundreds of homes and businesses,” Lamont said in a statement.

Less than two weeks before Ida arrived, Tropical Storm Henri poured three to five inches of rain on the state and, that same week, Tropical Storm Fred delivered four to five inches of rain in Hartford, West Hartford and other parts of north central Connecticut.

Then, on Sept. 1, Hurricane Ida delivered up to eight inches of rain on southwestern Connecticut in just a few hours, as Lamont’s request details. By 10 p.m., the National Weather Service issued a flood emergency for Fairfield and New Haven counties, for the first time in state history. Heavy rain then moved overnight across southern Connecticut, flooding highways and resulting in the suspension of service on Amtrak, MetroNorth and Shoreline East.

As a result of Ida, police and fire departments reported more then 1,000 rescues of residents trapped by flood waters and calls for pump-out assistance throughout the state, according to the request. In the lower Fairfield County area, the 911 system was so overwhelmed that it resorted to 10-digit numbers to answer calls for help.

According to Lamont’s request, in Fairfield County, only 23% of homes impacted by Ida in Connecticut had flood insurance. In New London County, that figure was even lower, at 8%.

In order to qualify for a major disaster declaration, FEMA requires state and local governments to complete a detailed assessment of damages and other data.

Lamont requested the FEMA Individual Assistance Program for Fairfield and New London counties, as well as for Connecticut’s two tribal nations, the the Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Nation and the Mohegan Tribal Nation. If the request is approved, homeowners in those areas would become eligible for federal reimbursements for the costs of uninsured damage to their housing and personal property.

Additionally, Lamont requested the FEMA Public Assistance Program for Fairfield and Middlesex counties, which if approved would make the state and every municipality in those counties eligible to receive federal reimbursement of 75% of the costs for uninsured damage to infrastructure, as well as costs associated with emergency response and protection measures.

Public Assistance damage assessments in Litchfield County, New Haven County, and New London County remain in progress and Lamont indicated that he would amend his request to include those counties if they meet the necessary eligibility thresholds.

In his request, Lamont also sought implementation of FEMA’s Hazard Mitigation Grant Program statewide, which if approved would help state agencies, local governments, and tribal nations take actions to mitigate or eliminate long-term risk to people and property from natural disasters.

Eliza Fawcett can be reached at elfawcett@courant.com.