Fairfield dominates FEMA assistance

Three months after the April 15 nor”™easter struck and flooded parts of Connecticut, 1,130 households in Fairfield County had applied for disaster assistance, nearly 60 percent of all Connecticut homeowners to do so.
As the Northeast readies for the 2007 hurricane season, Gov. M. Jodi Rell urged businesses and residents to review their flood insurance coverage, noting that such policies do not kick in until 30 days after their purchase.
The average annual flood insurance premium in Connecticut is $477, according to Ron Lansverk, a certified floodplain manager with the National Flood Insurance Program. Between 1996 and 2005, the average flood insurance claim paid in the United States was more than $42,000.
On June 13, President George Bush declared Fairfield County and six other counties eligible for assistance from the Federal Emergency Management Agency and the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA). Through July 15, the state had received $3.9 million in federal funding to recover from the April storm.
As of July 15, inspectors had examined 1,677 properties, 97 percent of those that were registered for disaster assistance.
Applicants have received $1.7 million in grants and $1 million in loans, including temporary rental assistance for those whose homes were severely damaged; funds for repairs; payments for alternative transportation; and replacement costs for personal property.
Municipal governments have received $1.2 million in aid.
Business losses appear to have largely been covered by insurance policies ”“ SBA has issued just 250 business loans for a total $40,000.
Individuals and businesses can also apply for free attorney assistance on legal questions related to the storm from the young lawyers division of the Connecticut chapter of the American Bar Association. The division can be reached at (866) 401-1952.