State officials urge readiness during hurricane season 

Local and state officials are urging residents to plan ahead for disasters as the calendar reaches the peak of hurricane season.

They warned Connecticut has become more vulnerable to severe weather, sometimes sudden, during the summer months, so hurricanes are no longer the only concern.
“If it can happen to us, it can happen anywhere,” Oxford First Selectman George Temple said during a news conference along the banks of Little River.

Oxford was one of multiple towns that were devastated 11 months ago when unexpectedly high rainfall led to historic flooding.

Department of Emergency Services and Public Protection Commissioner Ronnel Higgins urged people to take three steps:

“Be prepared,” Higgins said. “You will hear that early, you will hear that often. We will continue to emphasize that.”

DESPP Deputy Commissioner Brenda Bergeron said only 7% of residents in the state have signed up for alerts.

She also said the agency’s training efforts pick up during the summer months, including an increased emphasis on communication.

As the state gets ready for disasters, they’re also worried about help from the federal government.

President Donald Trump has been cutting resources at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and has said he wants to phase out the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).

FEMA has also drawn criticism for its response to deadly flooding in Texas.

Trump has been reluctant to talk about his plans for FEMA’s future this week.

“FEMA is something we can talk about later, but right now they’re busy working,” he said while departing Air Force One earlier this week.

Gov. Ned Lamont said the state could use the Rainy Day Fund to help cities and towns who are waiting for federal disaster relief aid.

Bergeron also said the state has its own meteorologists and coordinators to help plan for disasters.

But both said the state still relies on the federal government for help. Lamont, in particular, said it’s not possible for Connecticut to handle disaster recovery on its own.

“Some of these disasters are in the hundreds of millions of dollars,” he said. “Look what’s going on. And there, you really do need the federal government as a backstop”