Report by Paula Antolini, August 7, 2020, 3:46PM EDT
08/07/2020
(HARTFORD, CT) – Governor Ned Lamont announced that he was notified this morning by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) that the State of Connecticut has received approval of a presidential emergency declaration in response to damage from Tropical Storm Isaias. Late last night, Governor Lamont spoke via telephone with President Donald J. Trump to explain the reasons why the state needs the approval and urged the president to expedite the process. The governor applied for the emergency declaration on Wednesday morning in the immediate aftermath of the storm, which left more than 700,000 customers without electricity, many of whom are still without power days later.
Approval of the emergency declaration allows the state to request direct federal assistance to supplement the ongoing state and local efforts to save lives and protect public health and safety during the crisis, including certain equipment and other resources.
“Approval of this declaration is very much appreciated as hundreds of thousands in our state remain without power days after the storm made landfall in Connecticut,” Governor Lamont said.“We’re continuing to work with our federal and local counterparts to assess the damage and may seek additional federal support during the response, recovery, and rebuilding process.”
The Lamont administration, through the Connecticut Department of Emergency Services and Public Protection, is in the process of conducting the necessary damage assessments to determine whether the state meets the thresholds to seek a major disaster declaration from the federal government, which would enable the state and its municipalities to receive additional federal assistance beyond that authorized by today’s emergency declaration. The administration anticipates having more information on that process within the next several days.
Governor Lamont declared a state of emergency in response to Tropical Storm Isaias on Wednesday morning.
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