DELAURO, 3RD DISTRICT LEADERS DISCUSS RESPONSE TO TROPICAL STORM IRENE

New Haven, CT — Congresswoman Rosa DeLauro (CT-3) held a press availability today with local Mayors, First Selectmen, and Town Managers from the Third Congressional District following a meeting about the response to Tropical Storm Irene.

The purpose of the meeting was to discuss the disaster response of local communities, the state, and the federal government and to find out what worked, what problems were encountered, and how to improve future responses.

"Communities in the 3rd District saw some of the worst concentrated damage in Connecticut, if not the worst. The mayors, first selectmen, and town managers I met with today have gone above and beyond the call of duty in helping their communities through the after-effects of this storm. Their hard work and dedication have gotten us on the road to recovery," said Congresswoman DeLauro.

"The federal response, which I worked with my congressional colleagues and state and local officials to help coordinate, continues to be instrumental in our recovery efforts. With FEMA, the SBA, the USDA, and the Army Corps of Engineers, we have tried to address all federal concerns. But there is always room for improvement, particularly with the lengthy processes of getting access to assistance that is available. On the state and local level, we must address the dual problems of utilities and communications.

"Today, we tried to evaluate what went right or wrong about our response efforts, and discussed how we can improve them. I hope our meeting and discussion will help us move forward together on both in the ongoing recovery and in preparing for future disasters."