Courtney announces Vernon and Enfield to receive more than $6 million in federal assistance as a result of October 2011 winter storm

WASHINGTON, DC – Congressman Joe Courtney today announced that the Towns of Enfield and Vernon will receive $4,148,503 and $2,184,998, respectively, from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to pay for costs incurred from debris removal as a result of October 2011. The funds will be delivered to the State of Connecticut, and will be distributed to the Towns in October.

"The Towns of Enfield and Vernon did a tremendous job last year protecting their communities during a one-two punch of devastating storms," said Congressman Courtney. "Perhaps more importantly in a challenging fiscal environment, they also did the important work of thoroughly documenting the damage incurred and the costs associated with clean-up in order to make a solid, successful claim to FEMA. Such reimbursements are not a given when storms hit, and Town leaders deserve great credit for securing these funds."

"Enfield's coordinated response to the October snow storm involved resources from the local, regional, state and national levels," said Enfield Mayor Scott Kaupin. "With the assistance of Congressman Courtney, FEMA was here in Enfield within days, assessing the damage, and advising us on the process to follow to seek federal reimbursement. Enfield's response to the storm and the subsequent clean-up cost $5.5 million. These funds from FEMA allow us to reimburse our fund balance, which is in place specifically to respond to emergencies such as the October snow storm. Enfield is very grateful for the financial assistance coming from FEMA."

"Vernon is certainly grateful for all the assistance it received from the State and Federal Government in regard to all three of the FEMA events in 2011," said Vernon Mayor George Apel. "I would also like to thank my financial and administrative teams for their handling of these challenging applications. This reimbursement will help reinstate the health of our general fund."