FEMA Releases $1M In Jan. Storm Funds to CT

The federal government will soon release the first round of disaster assistance to state and local governments for a January storm that left Connecticut seeing white. 

Gov. Dannel P. Malloy announced Thursday the Federal Emergency Management Agency has allocated $1.04 million in funding to assist state agencies and municipalities that overspent to battle the effects of a massive snowstorm between Jan. 11 and 12.

, opening the door for possible federal dollars. The federal government has pledged a total of $14.5 million in disaster relief.

“I’m pleased that FEMA recognized the severity of the snowstorm Connecticut faced last January 11 and 12,” Malloy said in a news release. “In addition to that specific storm, the 2011 winter season proved particularly grueling and costly and I know this funding will be well-received by our cities, towns and nonprofit organizations.”

Several municipalities in the area are seeking disaster funds, including Tolland, Somers, Ellington and Manchester, among others. The storm dumped several inches of snow in towns across Connecticut, hampering snow removal budgets and forcing towns to declare their own states of emergency.

Reached for further information Thursday evening, Department of Emergency Management and Homeland Security spokesman Scott DeVico said he didn’t have specific numbers beyond the $1.04 million. DeVico said the state is expected to receive additional FEMA dollars over time.

The reimbursement is available on a cost-sharing basis, in which qualified applicants, in this case, the state, would receive 75 percent of approved costs associated with the storm.

“We were successful in our application process, in large part, due to the responsiveness of cities and towns to our request for data, as well as the work by state emergency management workers,” Malloy said, in the news release. “We can’t prevent storms from impacting Connecticut during any season, but we can work together to help prepare for them, and provide relief and assistance after-the-fact.”

The president issued a disaster declaration in March for Fairfield, Hartford, Litchfield, New Haven, New London and Tolland counties and the Tribal Lands of the Mashantucket Pequot and Mohegan Tribal Nations were declared eligible for assistance at that time. Malloy is currently appealing the denial of a disaster declaration in Windham and Middlesex counties, according to the release.