FEMA Says They Won’t Reimburse New Milford For Storm Damage
FEMA has announced that it would reimburse local towns in Fairfield and New Haven Counties for damages from the May 15 storm, but not towns in Litchfield County, including New Milford.
New Milford's leaders are not happy that the state has decided not to grant the town any financial help in the aftermath of the storms that produced five tornadoes and 3 macro bursts throughout Connecticut. The storm are believed to cost the town over $250,000 in damages and cleanup.
New Milford's Mayor and other local officials met with State Senator Richard Blumenthal earlier this week to voice their disapproval, and to appeal the FEMA decision. New Milford Mayor Pete Bass voiced his disappointment to News 12 Connecticut:
We were very disappointed, this storm doesn't know the difference between Litchfield County and Fairfield County. We had extensive damage as the other towns did in our southern New Milford area and we're just asking for FEMA to really, in our opinion, do the right thing.
After the meeting in New Milford Senator Blumenthal said he would do everything possible so that New Milford gets its fair share.
We are going to make the case as strongly as possible. We're going to go to work on the federal government as a delegation to convince them that New Milford and really other towns like it deserve to be treated more fairly.
The other two Litchfield County towns that were also denied any aid were Roxbury and Bridgewater.
Even some local homeowners that live in towns that will be receiving aid in Fairfield and New Haven Counties are not happy either with the FEMA ruling, because the aid is for local government, not individual homeowner claims. That ruling is also being appealed.
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