Seven state parks and campgrounds in southeastern Connecticut that were closed Friday as a precaution while Hurricane Earl approached New England are reopening immediately – well ahead of the original plan to reopen them at 12 p.m. today.

At Governor Rell’s direction, state Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) crews made thorough assessments of the parks early this morning to determine whether it was possible to reopen them earlier than the original target time. After an on-site review, DEP officials reported no signs of major damage. Swimming areas also appear to be free of complications from storm water runoff or riptides, although those conditions may be subject to change.%0

Governor M. Jodi Rell tonight announced that President Obama – responding within 24 hours of an appeal spearheaded by the Governor – has reversed an earlier decision and approved federal disaster assistance for homeowners, renters and businesses affected by the severe storms that swept through Connecticut in March.

“This is wonderful news – and it is exactly the right decision,” Governor Rell said. “The information we provided just a day ago to the federal government demonstrated conclusively that Connecticut’s residents and employers suffered major, unreimbursed losses from these storms. They need help – and now they are getting it.

“The response to our request for people to report damage to the state was tremendous, and I want to thank the people who helped us make this appeal stronger,” the Governor said. “Connecticut residents are resilient people – but nature is a force to be reckoned with and sometimes even the strongest need help. The damage from flooding, the week-long power outages and the high winds and downed trees was astonishing.

“I also want to thank the Federal Emergency Management Agency officials who assisted us in our appeal, the DEMHS officials who worked so hard pulling it together, and the state’s Congressional delegation who supported us so effectively,” the Governor said. “This is a team effort – all on behalf of our residents.”

President Obama, in April, had initially denied a request for federal aid to affected individuals in Fairfield, Middlesex, New London, New Haven and Windham counties in response to severe storms that struck on March 12-14 and March 29-31. The president did grant Governor Rell’s request for a “major disaster declaration” that allowed financial assistance to the state and municipal governments in Fairfield, Middlesex and New London counties.

Staff from the state Department of Emergency Management and Homeland Security (DEMHS) worked closely with 13 FEMA teams in the field to verify the damage data used in the appeal. Thousands of citizens affected by the storms and floods reported their damage to the statewide 2-1-1 Infoline at the Governor’s urging. The new data, verified and vetted in a five-step process, yielded nearly double the amount of damaged homes.

The Governor said the state’s preliminary damage assessment identified a total of 1,315 homes in the five counties with damages totaling $5,262,100. The new report verifies 2,498 homes with damages estimated at $16.5 million. Also since the first survey:

*   The number of residents reporting damage has almost tripled and the number of validated reports has doubled;
*   Only 7 percent of residents filing damage reports reported they were fully insured for damages;
*   A total of 1,593 residents now report their homes have mold, which could cause further damage

National Flood Insurance Program Expired While Congress in Recess

Governor M. Jodi Rell today announced that she is urging Congress to retroactively reauthorize the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) when members reconvene on April 12. Governor Rell said the federally backed program expired March 28 when Congress failed to reauthorize it before leaving for its spring break.

Closings on homes in flood zones in Connecticut are being delayed if buyers did not obtain flood insurance prior to the insurance lapse and will have to wait until Congress reconvenes and authorizes flood insurance.

“The timing could not have been worse for Connecticut in the wake of this week’s record rains and flooding, particularly in the eastern part of the state,” Governor Rell said. “Hundreds of Connecticut homeowners and businesses have been severely affected by flooding that many have not seen in a generation.

“By letting the National Flood Insurance Program expire, Washington is letting down residents in Connecticut and in other states who were either in the process of buying a new policy or who have policies up for renewal,” the Governor wrote in a letter to Congressional leadership.

“Therefore, I urge the 111th Congress to retroactively reauthorize the NFIP as its first order of business when you return from the Easter recess,” Governor Rell wrote in the letter, which was also coped to Connecticut’s Congressional delegation. “I know our delegation will work to get the retroactive reauthorization and I thank them in advance for their help.”

Congress is scheduled to return to Washington, D.C., the week of April 12.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has alerted insurance companies this week that they cannot renew or issue new policies as part of the flood program because the NFIP requires authority from Congress. According to FEMA, the average premium for homeowners’ flood insurance is $500 a year. A flood insurance policy normally has a 30-day waiting period after purchase before it goes into effect.

“Failing to act will severely undermine the public’s confidence in the NFIP and the federal government’s response to this storm,” the Governor said. “Most importantly, it may potentially leave thousands of Connecticut homeowners with no way to pay for their losses.”

Useful information and FAQs on storm clean-up related issues from the Town of Greenwich.

Click here for Town of Greenwich Press Release on Storm Flooding and Power Outages.

Four Public Hearings Scheduled in State’s Probe of Utility Response to March Storms
Hearings Set for New Canaan, Westport, Fairfield & Greenwich

Governor M. Jodi Rell today announced that the first of four public hearings to be held as part of the investigation she ordered into the actions of the state’s two largest electric utilities during and after the March 13-14 storm is scheduled for April 7 at the New Canaan Town Hall.

The first public session will be in the auditorium at the Town Hall, 77 Main Street, and will begin at 6:30 p.m. Additional hearings will be held in:

    * Westport: April 12, Westport Town Hall, 110 Myrtle Avenue, 6:30 p.m.
    * Fairfield: April 14, Fairfield Town Hall, 725 Old Post Road, 6:30 p.m.
    * Greenwich: April 15, Greenwich Town Hall, 101 Field Point Road, 6:30 p.m.

Earlier this month, Governor Rell directed the Department of Public Utility Control and the Department of Emergency Management and Homeland Security to conduct a joint investigation into complaints about the actions of Connecticut Light & Power Co. (CL&P) and United Illuminating Co. (UI). The severe storm brought high winds and heavy rains that contributed to the deaths of three people, downed thousands of trees and tree limbs, snapped hundreds of utility poles and left nearly 100,000 Connecticut homes and businesses without power.

Tens of thousands of customers were without power for three days or more and some customers were without power for as long as six days. During the storm, municipal officials and emergency officials complained they could not reach CL&P or UI, getting only voice mail or no answer at all. They also complained that initial response to the widespread power outages was slow.

“The first phase of this investigation – numerous questions and requests for detailed information from the utilities – is already under way, but I want the concerns and experiences of ratepayers to be a major factor in this review as well,” Governor Rell said. “I have asked the state agencies to make sure they hear not only from the tens of thousands of customers who were without power for days at a time but also from the town leaders and emergency officials who could not reach anyone at the utilities.

“People who cannot make it to the public meetings have additional ways to offer comments,” the Governor noted. “Ratepayers can call the agency’s Consumer Representative hot line at (800) 382-4586 or fill out a comment form on the DPUC’s Web site at www.ct.gov/DPUC. All of the public comments will become a part of the formal record for this case.”

March 12, 2010

Safeguard Your Home - Prevent Break-Ins

Hello Neighbors,

Given the recent rise in home burglaries, I want to pass along some important information about crime prevention.

The Greenwich Police Department has asked residents to be aware of a recent series of burglaries happening mainly throughout the back country areas of Greenwich, and has also made recommendations on how you can safeguard your home. As the majority of these break-ins are occurring to unoccupied homes during the early evening, it is important to have your home appear occupied. This can be accomplished by:

• Keeping lights and radios on timers;
• Installing motion activated exterior lighting;
• Keeping your shades drawn;
• Picking up your mail and newspapers promptly;
• Keeping your property free of debris to suggest occupancy;
• Establishing open communications with your neighbors to provide support in your absence; and
• Always remembering to set your alarms and lock your doors.

To further safeguard our community and state, please pass this important information on to family and friends.

As always, if there is ever anything I can do for you or your family, please contact my office at 800.842,1421
or scott.frantz@cga.ct.gov.

Best,

L. Scott Frantz
State Senator, 36th District

]]> http://greenwichblog.com/2010/03/message-from-state-senator-l-scott-frantz/feed/ 0 http://greenwichblog.com/2010/01/weve-been-tagged/ http://greenwichblog.com/2010/01/weve-been-tagged/#comments Wed, 20 Jan 2010 12:36:44 +0000 gb http://greenwichblog.com/?p=3765

Ridgefield’s Talk of Our Town has started a fun game of Blog Tag. The rules are simple.  First, the tagged blog has to tell 10 things about their blog and in turn tag 5 blogs that inspire them. We agree with Talk of Our Town that acknowledgement of blogs and websites we appreciate will bring great content and valuable links to our followers and build a local network of bloggers. So here goes…..

10 Things about Greenwich Blog

1. The GB idea was born in early 2003 before most people had even heard of the word blog (web log).

2. The domain name greenwichblog.com was registered in 2003.

3. After much research on blogging platforms and design, GB was launched in the summer of 2008.

4. Reporting local events is our specialty. We are looking into expanding into other areas. Stay tuned!

5. The blog was revamped in 2009 and the remodeling continues…..

6. Local advertising was introduced in late 2008.

7. In 2009, the social networks Twitter and Facebook were added.

8. National advertising began January 2010.

9. GB hopes to unveil some exciting additions this year.

10. Readership has grown from a few hundred in 2008 to thousands in 2010.

Thank you Talk of Our Town for tagging us!  We are very honored and in the spirit of sharing here are 5 local blogs covering Fairfield County towns that inspire us.

Only in Bridgeport – A web magazine, the leading discussion source for how things work in Connecticut’s largest city.

All About Darien – A “good-to-know guide” that helps make better use of all that Darien has to offer.

Ridgefield’s Talk Of Our Town – Covering town events, sports, restaurant reviews, real estate, decorating and more. A formidable guide to Ridgefield.

Stamford Talks – Great restaurant reviews, cultural events, gossip and much more.

Westport Now – Westport, Connecticut’s 24/7 news and information source, offering insights into Westport-related news and news of interest to Westporters.

If we may add one more – Fairfield County Child – Things to do with kids and child related give-aways.

In coordination with the American Red Cross, Public Safety and Health Department, several “warming centers” have been established in town to assist residents who have lost power and/or heat and will be open during regular business hours that are listed below.
Greenwich Hospital’s Main Lobby-5 Perryridge Road Thu, Fri, Sat -8am-6pm
The Greenwich Library-101 West Putnam Avenue Thu, Fri- 9am-9pm, Sat-9am-5pm
The Senior Center- 299 Greenwich Avenue Thu- Fri-8am-4pm
Residents can keep warm by following a few safety measures while outdoors like wear a hat, scarf and gloves as well as staying dry. Also, while indoors make sure to dress efficiently, eat regularly and keep hydrated. Emergency Telephone Numbers for Utility companies:
Connecticut Light and Power: 1.800.286.2000
Connecticut Natural Gas: 203.869.6900
In the event that you lose heat or do not have a warm place to stay, the Town of Greenwich is prepared to open emergency shelters on an as needed basis and residents should contact the Greenwich Police Department at 203.622.8000 for assistance. For those residents that have heating issues, such as running out of heating fuel and cannot get a delivery they should contact the info line at 211 for assistance. This is a time for the residents of the community to show unity and come together and reach out to their neighbors, especially the elderly so no one is without shelter or heat over the next couple of days.

For more visit http://www.nbcconnecticut.com