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HARTFORD, Conn. (WTIC Radio) - Governor Ned Lamont requests a federal agriculture disaster declaration for all eight counties in Connecticut from the U.S. Department of Agriculture due to recent severe flooding.
The request comes after the Connecticut Department of Agriculture conducted an assessment of flood damage to farms, which found that 27 farms in the state are estimating losses totaling more than 1,500 acres and nearly $21 million in lost sales revenue.
This flooding is in addition to two previous frost events in February and May that resulted in 1,077 acres impacted with estimated losses totaling $8.4 million.
In a letter to U.S. Agriculture Secretary Thomas J. Vilsack, Governor Lamont notes that Connecticut received 10.74 inches of rain so far in July, which is 423% of the state’s normal rainfall for the month.
If Governor Lamont’s request is approved, the declaration will make farmers eligible for certain federal disaster assistance programs, such as emergency loans, to cover production losses they experienced from the flooding.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture earlier this month approved an agriculture disaster declaration for all eight counties in Connecticut due to the impact of the sub-freezing weather conditions that occurred in the early morning of May 18, causing significant damage to crops.
