LEOMINSTER — President Biden has approved a disaster declaration for the communities in Worcester and Bristol Counties adversely affected by the flooding that took place from Sept. 11 – 13, 2023. This decision was made in response to an appeal filed by the Commonwealth after the president initially shot down the communities’ disaster declaration request to the Federal Emergency Management Agency last February.
More: President Biden shoots down Leominster’s request for FEMA funding for damage from September flooding
On Monday, Sept. 11, 2023, flash floods from torrential downpours turned roadways to waterways, collapsed the asphalt of new streets, and tore through dams.
Leominster was severely impacted; Route 2 was closed in both directions with floodwaters reaching up to four feet high, while extensive damage in parts of Pleasant Street eroded soil and left buildings standing on just their foundations.
More: Evacuations continue after flash flooding wreaks havoc on Leominster
In a press conference on Thursday, Leominster’s Mayor Dean Mazzarella welcomed the reversal, noting the rarity of such decisions and the ongoing recovery efforts.
“This is really good news,” Mazzarella said during the press conference. “As you know, we were denied and the governor’s office filed an appeal. I can’t find too many times when an appeal was reversed, so that’s exciting in and of itself.”
Mazzarella said that about 1,400 claims from residences and businesses in Leominster have been filed with FEMA so far. Meanwhile, on the city side, Mazzarella said the storm caused about $35 million of damage.
“We actually hired engineers. We didn’t want to just put ballpark figures together to submit to FEMA,” Mazzarella said. “We actually went out and hired several different engineering companies to give us real, accurate costs — estimates as to what some of these projects would cost to rebuild on the city side.”
According to Mazzarella, individual assistance is now available for businesses and residences in the city. Assistance can include grants for temporary housing and home repairs, low-cost loans to cover uninsured property losses, and other programs to help individuals and business owners recover from the effect of the disaster, a statement from the White House said.
However, public assistance for eligible storm-related expenses incurred by state agencies and municipalities, such as the $35 million requested by the City of Leominster, remains under review.
Residents and business owners who sustained losses last September in the designated areas can begin applying for federal assistance at www.DisasterAssistance.gov, by calling 800-621-FEMA (3362), or by using the FEMA App.
