Rep. Scott Joins FEMA For Monroe Flood Damage Assessment

**News Release Submitted by Connecticut House Republicans**

Sept. 4, 2024

Devastating flooding in Monroe damaged roads, homes, and businesses. The next of many steps in the flood recovery process got underway Friday.

State Representative Tony Scott (R-112) joined representatives from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), the state Department of Emergency Management and Homeland Security, the Small Business Administration (SBA) and First Selectman Terry Rooney to look at damage as they recorded the information.

"There's been a massive repair effort underway along Route 34 to get the road reopened. Cottage Street was basically washed down the hill by the force of the storm, wiped out a section of the road, and spilled into the lake. Boulders, dirt, and other debris now sit where there used to be water," said Rep. Scott.

For now, those agencies are looking at structural damage. The group toured the area of the Lake Zoar Drive-In, Cottage Street, Brookside Trail, and Bridge Road among other locations near the border with Newtown.

"We need these agencies to agree that we have enough damage to declare a major disaster. Issues related to individual assistance will be the next phase of assessment. In the meantime, residents and business owners should report damage and egress issues to the town and fill out the state DEMHS assessment list. No matter how small you think the damage is, every bit helps to get the County to the required threshold," said Rep. Scott.

Some state roads are federally funded, and the repairs don't count toward the FEMA assessment for a disaster declaration.

"This doesn’t get any easier. Having been in the storm when flooding started to this point assessing damage is a surreal experience. A 1000-year flood with 16" of rain just ripped through our Stevenson area leaving folks in unimaginable situations. I’m out here shoulder to shoulder with those who are collecting damage information. While roads have opened, there could be unseen damage. I will continue to stay on top of this," said Rooney.

State officials announced a $5 million grant program, which provides up to $25,000 per affected business. Applications will be accepted on a rolling basis until funds are exhausted.

The state reporting link can be found here.