WASHINGTON, DC—Congressman Jim Himes (CT-4) joined Laurel Blatchford, executive director of President Obama’s Hurricane Sandy Rebuilding Task Force, and Senator Blumenthal today for a tour of ongoing Sandy recovery efforts in Southwest Connecticut. The tour, which was arranged after Himes requested a representative from the Task Force visit Southwest Connecticut, included stops at Marina Village in Bridgeport and Cummings Park Beach and Municipal Marina in Stamford.
“As we continue rebuilding after one of the worst storms in our state’s history, it is essential that we receive the federal assistance we need to repair our damaged infrastructure, enhance public safety ahead of future storms, and provide for the continuing economic vitality of our region,” said Congressman Himes. “I thank Executive Director Blatchford for visiting our area and look forward to working with her to ensure Southwest Connecticut’s needs are met.”
The Task Force, which President Obama established in December 2012, is responsible for assessing Sandy-related damages and crafting a Hurricane Sandy Rebuilding Strategy to ensure the hardest-hit municipalities receive federal assistance for local rebuilding projects and future storm preparation. Himes wrote a letter to Task Force Chairman and Housing & Urban Development Secretary Shaun Donovan in March requesting the visit to ensure that Southwest Connecticut’s needs in the wake of the worst storm in Connecticut history are met in this Strategy.