Emergency federal aid approved for Connecticut following severe flooding

HARTFORD, Conn. (AP) — Connecticut is receiving emergency federal aid following severe flooding this month that caused dam breaches and road closures.

President Joe Biden on Saturday approved an emergency declaration for the state that authorizes the Department of Homeland Security, the Federal Emergency Management Agency and other agencies to provide assistance to state and local authorities responding to the ongoing inclement weather that began Jan. 10.

The authorization allows FEMA to “identify, mobilize, and provide at its discretion, equipment and resources necessary to alleviate the impacts of the emergency,” including direct federal funding.

Biden’s announcement cites impacts in New London County, a coastal region where a storm packing drenching rains and powerful winds caused a dam breach on the Yantic River in Norwich.

The breach prompted emergency power shutoffs and evacuation orders in the area, which were lifted hours later after the dam was deemed not in danger of failing.

The Pameacha Pond Dam in Middletown, the central part of the state, also experienced a partial breach as a result of flooding from the storm, though state officials said at the time that no businesses or homes were affected.

Steady rain in New London County also led to high tide flooding and the temporary closure of roads in Mystic and Groton on Saturday.