Not Disaster Enough for Individual Help

Governor M. Jodi Rell announced Tuesday that President Obama has denied the state's request for individual aid to homeowners, renters and employers affected by severe storms in March. Rell said she has immediately started gathering information to file a formal appeal.

"The storms that battered our state last month left a trail of astonishing devastation in their wake—crushed cars, homes struck by trees, week-long power outages and staggering flooding," Rell said in a press release. "People and businesses all across Connecticut were left with millions of dollars in damage. They need help. This decision is not only disappointing—it's wrong, and I will appeal it."

Rell had announced Friday that Obama had approved her request for a "major disaster declaration" in response to the March storms. The declaration allows financial assistance to the state and municipal governments in three counties: Fairfield, Middlesex and New London.

Tuesday's denial of aid to individuals in those three counties as well as New Haven and Windham counties comes despite state surveys that identified a total of 1,315 homes in the five counties—including 28 in New Canaan—with damages totaling an estimated $5.3 million. The Small Business Administration determined that 116 businesses were affected and estimated the damages at $5.4 million.