Mansfield and Windham now eligible for funds to cover Hurricane Sandy damages

Hurricane Sandy, which was later downgraded to a Tropical Storm, pounds Connecticut on Oct. 29, 2012. Image source: FEMA

FEMA has announced that state and local governments and certain nonprofit organizations in three additional Connecticut counties are now eligible to receive federal disaster assistance under the Public Assistance program to supplement state and local response to Hurricane Sandy.

Windham and Tolland counties were added to the major disaster declaration issued Oct. 30, 2012, as well as Litchfield County.

Windham County includes Ashford,  Brooklyn,  Canterbury,  Chaplin,  Eastford,  Hampton,  Killingly,  Plainfield,  Pomfret,  Putnam,  Scotland,  Sterling,  Thompson,  Windham (Willimantic) and  Woodstock.

Tolland County includes Andover,  Bolton,  Columbia,  Coventry,  Ellington,  Hebron (Amston),  Mansfield (Storrs),  Somers,  Stafford,  Tolland,  Union,  Vernon and  Willington.

Governments in these towns, as well as some nonprofits, are eligible for funds to cover permanent work to repair and rebuild disaster-damaged infrastructure, as well as costs for debris removal and emergency protective measures.

The funds are available based on a federal cost share of at least 75 percent.

In Connecticut, cost share for emergency power restoration and emergency public transportation was 100 percent at the height of hurricane recovery through Nov. 14.

Grants also help pay for emergency protective measures such as police overtime; debris removal from public roads and rights-of-way; and permanent repairs to roads, bridges and public buildings.

Previous counties designated under the declaration are Fairfield, Middlesex, New Haven and New London, and the Mashantucket Pequot and Mohegan Tribal Nations in New London County.

For more information about assistance, visit http://www.fema.gov/disaster/4087

Posted November 24, 2012, as edited and added to by HTNP News Editor Brenda Sullivan

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