Six weeks after it was initially announced, the Hartford Flood Compensation Program is officially accepting applications.
The program was created as part of the 2024-2025 biennial state budget as a means of assisting residents who have experienced damage due to flooding. There is $5 million in grant funding available to applicants and while there is no deadline for submissions, funds will be distributed on a first-come first-served basis.
In August, State Comptroller Sean Scanlon announced that Dr. Gary Rhule, a Hartford-native physician, had been appointed as administrator of the program.
Applications can be obtained online at the program website or in person by visiting the Blue Hills Civic Association in Hartford. They must then be emailed, along with necessary materials, to HartfordFloodHelp@ct.gov.
Hartford, due to its position along the Connecticut River, has large areas of the city within federally designated flood zones. This past July served as a reminder when heavy rains caused flooding throughout the state.
“This state fund we are creating is going to provide financial assistance directly to property owners in Hartford who have experienced frequent flooding that has caused significant damage to their homes and businesses,” said Gov. Ned Lamont in a statement. “These flooding issues have been impacting residents in Hartford for far too long, and action addressing this problem is long overdue.”
According to some researchers, flooding is primed to become an increasing issue for many of Connecticut’s residents. Between major rivers – including the Connecticut and Thames Rivers – and the major cities along Long Island Sound, the majority of the state’s residents live in potential flood zones. Increasingly common heavy rain events and storm surges, combined with densely populated areas with impervious surface cover, are likely to cause more and larger flooding.
Recent research indicates that flood events that previously happened once every century could now happen once a decade or more frequently.
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