HARTFORD—Members of Connecticut Congressional Delegation today sent a letter to President Donald Trump to urge him to grant Governor Ned Lamont’s request for a major disaster declaration following as a result of the damage caused by Tropical Storm Isaias.

“The significant outages and damage caused by the storm placed additional burdens on our state and local agencies, volunteers, and first responders at a time when they continue to respond to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic – putting some of our most vulnerable populations at risk.  Federal assistance is critically necessary in order to facilitate full recovery from the storm,” wrote the delegation members.

The letter was signed by U.S. Senators Chris Murphy (D-Conn.), Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) and Representatives John Larson (CT-1), Joe Courtney (CT-2), Rosa DeLauro (CT-3), Jim Himes (CT-4), and Jahana Hayes (CT-5).

A complete copy of the letter is below:

Dear Mr. President:

We write strongly urging you to grant Governor Ned Lamont’s request for a major disaster declaration for all Connecticut counties and the Mashantucket Pequot and Mohegan Tribal Nations.  Specifically, we support the Governor’s call for activation of Public Assistance (PA) and implementation of the Hazard Mitigation Grant Program.  

On August 4, 2020, Tropical Storm Isaias tore through our state leaving over 750,000 residents and businesses without power, adversely affecting public transportation, causing damage to homes and infrastructure, and disrupting telecommunication systems.  The significant outages and damage caused by the storm placed additional burdens on our state and local agencies, volunteers, and first responders at a time when they continue to respond to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic – putting some of our most vulnerable populations at risk.  Federal assistance is critically necessary in order to facilitate full recovery from the storm.   

The Governor’s request is pursuant to the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act (P.L. 93-288), which provides financial aid and assistance for communities hit by unprecedented disasters like Tropical Storm Isaias.  As the Governor’s major disaster declaration request makes clear, the joint Preliminary Damage Assessment (DPA) confirms that the State of Connecticut and all of its eight counties met or exceeded the minimum per capita requirements for additional federal assistance.  The state and its partners took unprecedented steps to respond to the storm while continuing to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic.  It is necessary for the federal government to provide much-needed relief to our state during these unprecedented times.

We appreciate your immediate consideration of this request. 

Sincerely,

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