August 13, 2007

Last chance to apply for FEMA disaster assistance

If you want to register for financial assistance for damage caused by the April storm, you must call FEMA at 1-800-621-FEMA (3362) or TTY 1-800-462-7585 by 7 p.m. tonight, August 13, or apply online at www.fema.gov by midnight tonight. For more details, read the FEMA press release.

Posted by EmilyW at 02:39 PM | Comments (0)

July 23, 2007

Disaster Assistance Available

If you suffered losses or damages during the rains and flooding between April 15 and 27, and live in the Counties of Litchfield, Hartford, Windham, New London, Middlesex, New Haven, or Fairfield, you may be eligible for assistance.

Call 1-800-621-FEMA (3362). Speech and hearing impaired may call the TTY number at 1-800-462-7585. You may also apply on the FEMA website: www.fema.gov.

Callers are advised to have the following information available to help speed up the application process:

Disaster recovery assistance is available without regard to race, color, sex, religion, national origin, age, disability, economic status or retaliation. If you or someone you know has been discriminated against, contact FEMA at 800-621-FEMA (3362) TTY: 800-462-7585. If suspicious of any abuse of FEMA programs please contact the fraud hotline at 1-800-323-8603.

Submitted by FEMA

Posted by EmilyW at 08:37 AM | Comments (0)

July 20, 2007

Flooding meeting on Wed. July 25

The Town of Darien is to meet with concerned citizens at the Darien Library on Wed. July 25th from 7pm to 8pm. This forum will bring news to citizens of what steps have been taken after the 2007 floods and offer citizens and opportunity to obtain answers to their ongoing concerns.

For more information contact Laura Giobi at cruiseaccount@sbcglobal.net or call Vanessa Wood at 203-656-1026.
Information on Darien Flooding is at http://darienflooding.wordpress.com.

Submitted by Vanessa Wood

Posted by EmilyW at 09:00 AM | Comments (0)

June 18, 2007

Mobile disaster recovery center is coming

A FEMA mobile disaster recovery center will be stationed in Bridgeport through tomorrow to assist people who need to apply for federal assistance to recover from the April 15 storm. Later this month, a FEMA disaster recovery center will be located in Norwalk. The Governor's office has not announced the location yet. For more information, visit the Governor's web site.

Posted by EmilyW at 04:24 PM | Comments (0)

June 14, 2007

FEMA will provide individual storm aid

According to a press release from Governor Rell's office, FEMA has reversed its earlier decision and will provide individual assistance to homeowners and businesses affected by the April 15 nor’easter. The Governor said "FEMA’s decision today makes residents in Fairfield, Hartford, Litchfield, Middlesex, New Haven, New London and Windham counties eligible for individual assistance. That aid could include grants and low-interest loans for repair or replacement of damaged property for homeowners and renters. Business owners could be eligible for low-interest loans.”

Visit Governor Rell's website to find out about the application process.


Submitted by Joi Reiner Gallo

Posted by EmilyW at 12:34 PM | Comments (0)

May 25, 2007

Governor Rell Announces Connecticut Residents and Businesses Should Call 2-1-1 to Report Damages from April Nor’Easter

Governor M. Jodi Rell announced that Connecticut residents and businesses who suffered significant property damage during April’s Nor’easter are encouraged to contact 2-1-1 in order to report damages they sustained in order to support the State of Connecticut’s appeal of the FEMA decision to deny Individual Assistance for Connecticut.

The State’s initial request for Individual Assistance was turned down by FEMA. In order to prepare an appeal to the federal government, additional information on storm damages is needed. This new information will be an important part of the appeal.

“We believe there are many residents who may have suffered damage that was not documented by the FEMA teams during the original damage assessment,” Governor Rell said. “Our appeal can be based only on new tabulations of damages. Any affected resident who reports their damages will be buttressing our case for the appeal.”

2-1-1 will be taking calls concerning storm related property damage beginning Thursday, May 24th until midnight on Monday, May 28th. Callers will be asked some very general questions and their information will be turned over to state officials who may contact them for additional follow-up.

“We are trying to identify people whose home or apartments were made uninhabitable or who sustained significant damage to primary living spaces such as bedrooms, bathrooms, kitchens or living rooms – as opposed to routine or nuisance basement flooding which cannot be considered for the revised damage report,” Governor Rell said. “We also encourage people to report damaged furnaces, electrical systems or water heaters.”

“In reviewing the storm data it is clear that Connecticut is very fortunate compared to what our neighbors in New York and Maine suffered,” said Commissioner James Thomas of the Department of Emergency Management and Homeland Security. “Nonetheless, we want to document all possible damages so that our case for appeal is as strong as possible.”

Two weeks ago President Bush, at the Governor’s request, signed a declaration of a “major disaster” in Connecticut making local governments and certain non-profit agencies in Fairfield and Litchfield counties eligible for reimbursement of part of the costs they incurred to cope with the storm and its aftermath.

In addition, all counties in the state are eligible for grants under the Hazard Mitigation program, which pays for actions to prevent or reduce long-term risks to life and property from natural hazards.

However, the announcement did not contain any Individual Assistance to individuals and property owners whose homes and businesses were damaged. Of the more than $43 million in costs associated with the storm, more than $31 million were attributed to private property losses.

2-1-1 is a program of the United Way of Connecticut and is a funded partnership of the Connecticut United Ways and the State of Connecticut. 2-1-1 provides toll-free information, referral, and crisis hotline support 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.

Submitted by Joi Reiner Gallo

Posted by EmilyW at 03:06 PM | Comments (0)

May 14, 2007

Darien Flooding Meeting

Darien Citizens concerned with flooding will meet face to face with Town officials. The public is invited to a Meeting at Town Hall on 5/16/07 at 7pm in room 119. It is between citizens concerned about flooding and contamination in Darien. The First Selectwoman Evonne Klein has offered a face-to-face meeting to address residents' concerns.

The agenda will cover the following points:

-Certain key points of The 1957 Flood Study
-Results of the 2003 Environmental Report on the Town Hall Pond
-The impact of the construction of the High School, the Middle school, Wee Burn -Country Club & over building within the town
-The need for enforcement on P & Z approvals

-Moratorium on future building (The new Town Library, New Police station) until some action is taken in regards to the High School etc. and implementations to correct the current problems with runoff etc.

-Address immediate actions that can be taken, by the town, to alleviate some of the situations i.e. clean-up, ongoing maintenance and possible containment sites

For more information contact Laura Giobi at cruiseaccount@sbcglobal.net or call Vanessa Wood at 203-656-1026.
Information on Darien Flooding is at http://darienflooding.wordpress.com.

Submitted by Vanessa Wood

Posted by EmilyW at 04:39 PM | Comments (0)

May 03, 2007

Last night's flooding meeting

Last night, I attended the second meeting of citizens who are concerned about the recent increase in flooding. The meeting was convened by and moderated by Vanessa Wood, who created the Darien Flooding blog. Approximately forty people filled the Library's program room, including First Selectwoman Evonne Klein, P&Z Commissioner David Kenny, and RTM Moderator Karen Armour. Jim Cameron was there to tape the meeting for TV 79.

Many citizens vented their frustration about the recent flooding and wanted to understand why it's happening and what can be done. Several expressed concern that the town is not doing enough to prevent flooding. Midway through the meeting, First Selectwoman Klein responded by outlining what the town has done thus far and what is still in the works. P&Z Commissioner Kenny explained P&Z's plans as well.

One audience member questioned whether the new Library building on the Post Road would increase flooding. In fact, the new Library site will not add run off. Instead, rainwater will filter through an innovative bioswale system into underground cisterns, where it will be slowly released. This system was engineered to meet 50-year storm standards and approved by Planning & Zoning, which asked the Library to install it as a demonstration project. Additionally, the Library has already cleaned up significant environmental contamination on the site, some of it going back decades.

By the time I left the meeting at 8:45 p.m. to close the Library, the group had not decided on a definite plan of action. Instead, they will be in touch by email and decide what to do next. When I left the Library at 9:15 p.m., clusters of people were in the Library parking lot, informally continuing the discussion.

Posted by EmilyW at 01:55 PM | Comments (0)

April 25, 2007

Hot topics

Last night, I attended the P & Z meeting because both affordable housing and flooding, two hot topics in town, were on the agenda. During the general meeting, P & Z's affordable housing subcommittee members Peter Bigelow and David Kenny told the commission that they are taking a “30,000 foot look at the town”, encompassing all aspects, to figure out how P&Z can best address the affordable housing issue. They will have a more formal presentation for the commission in six to eight weeks.

Additionally, P & Z discussed the recent flooding. Several P & Z members have met with an EPC committee to discuss how to address flooding. One interesting problem that came up is the town does not know how deep the storm drains are. Hence, they cannot calculate storm pipe flows and the system’s capacity to handle storm water. EPC and P & Z will continue to meet to work on the problem, keeping in mind the two big issues: "time is of the essence" and "who's going to pay for it".

Posted by EmilyW at 05:42 PM | Comments (0)

April 23, 2007

Next Flooding Meeting

A Roundtable Meeting for
FLOODED DARIEN RESIDENTS
MAY 2 at 7pm
DARIEN LIBRARY – Program Room (downstairs)
35 Leroy Ave. across from the Sport Shop

Come learn… Come share…what you’ve learned since
March 2nd and since April 15th flooding.

Develop a flood strategy with your neighbors
TOPICS:
Tax Assessments – Are you paying too much?
FEMA Disaster Relief
National Flood Insurance Program
Will You Lose by Hiding Your Flood Damage?
Ending with open discussion.

Meeting space is limited to 60 people.

Please RSVP to (203) 656-1026 or email vwood01@gmail.com.

Homeowners and Businesses: If you suffered flooding on April 15th, photograph your damage and lost contents. Contact Selectwoman Evonne Klein at (203) 656-7386 and Emergency Management Director Mark McCune 203-656-7345. Ms. Klein has already sent letters to flooded residents and is keeping a tally to make an accurate
report of losses for FEMA Federal disaster assistance.

Submitted by Vanessa Wood

Posted by EmilyW at 04:50 PM | Comments (0)