A year ago, a devastating flash flood in southwestern Connecticut killed two people and destroyed homes and businesses.
“The tables were where the refrigerator was. The refrigerator was in the nail salon,” said Themis Klarides, describing the damage the flood caused to the 67 Family Diner at the Klarides Village shopping plaza.
Klarides, a former state House Republican minority leader, runs the shopping plaza with her sister Nicole Klarides-Ditra, a Republican state representative serving Seymour, and cousin Karin Klarides Marinaro.
“You see these things on TV, and you know intellectually it’s horrible. But until you actually live it yourself, it’s unbelievable,” she said at a ceremony marking the reopening of the diner on Monday.
State and local officials helped Mike and Linda Abe, the owners of the diner, recover following the devastation of the flood.
“It was the people, the town of Seymour. It was the state of Connecticut. Everybody worked together,” Klarides said.
“Yes, there was a lot of state money, federal money, going into this rebuilding. But we need to make sure that Little River doesn’t become a raging torrent again,” U.S. Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) urged that the federal rebuilding effort should also focus on resiliency.
According to Blumenthal's office, more than 100 businesses affected by the flood received disaster loans from the federal Small Business Administration, totaling more than $8 million.
And another $14.46 million has been approved for more than 1,700 applicants under FEMA Individual Assistance, while $10.64 million has been obligated for FEMA public assistance.
