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Federal Funds Available To Norwalk Victims Of Hurricane Sandy

WESTPORT, Conn. -- Federal funds are available for property owners in low-lying coastal areas such as Westport, Stamford, Norwalk, Greenwich, Fairfield and Darien who sustained flood damage during Hurricane Sandy, Gov. Dannel P. Malloy announced. 

Gov. Dannel P. Malloy announced a second round of federal funding to help protect homes in low-lying areas from flooding.

Gov. Dannel P. Malloy announced a second round of federal funding to help protect homes in low-lying areas from flooding.

Photo Credit: Fairfield Police via Twitter

The program will pay property owners in the floodplains for allowing the federal government to take steps to permanently protect their land.

“The U.S. Department of Agriculture has just announced a second round of funding for a program that allows eligible property owners to sell the rights to floodplain easements on their lands,” Malloy said in a statement. “This is a solution that provides relief for landowners while protecting natural resources in environmentally sensitive areas and prevents future damage from flooding. The program is another way that we can both protect our shoreline and inland flood plain areas while bringing relief to people who sustained damage in Storm Sandy and are suffering from the financial consequences.”

Applications will be accepted directly by the USDA's Natural Resources Conservation Service from now until April 18. 

Those interested in information about the program should contact the NRCS State Conservation Engineer Arthur Ramthun at (860) 871-4030 or NRCS Community Planner Carol Donzella at (203) 287-8038, Ext. 100.

In December, NRCS announced the first round of applicants selected for enrollment. In Connecticut, $7.5 million was awarded for the purchase of permanent floodplain easements on 347 acres.

In addition to new applications, all eligible applications not selected during the first sign-up will be automatically submitted for review in the second round of funding.

“We are and will continue to use Hurricane Sandy funds to help those who were affected by this tragedy," Lisa Coverdale, Connecticut State Conservationist for the NRCS said in a statement. "The easement program will help reduce future flood damage and relieve stress these landowners have been enduring since that storm.”

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