Hampden misses out on aid for tornado cleanup

Date: 1/3/2012

Jan. 2, 2012

By Chris Maza

Reminder Assistant Editor

HAMPDEN — Hampden missed out on another batch of money released by Gov. Deval Patrick’s administration for tornado-damaged areas on Dec 15, 2011.

Twelve Western Massachusetts communities received emergency funding through the state Department of Revenue’s Division of Local Services, and eight of those also received Department of Transportation (MassDOT) Highway Division funding, but Hampden did not receive any aid because it did not apply.

“It appears that Hampden decided not to apply for whatever reason,” State Rep. Brian Ashe told Reminder Publications. “[Legislative Aide Dan Zwirko] spoke with the Department of Revenue and the DOT and there is no record of Hampden applying for reimbursement.”

Springfield received $1.3 million in MassDOT monies to repair roadways and sidewalks, while Monson and Wilbraham also received $519,000 and $956,000, respectively, for road repairs.

“The DOT money was strictly for communities who needed to repair roads and sidewalks after the tornado,” Ashe said. “There were areas where trees were uprooted and as a result, the sidewalks or pavement came up, but from what I recall, the area of Hampden that I toured was primarily tree damage, so it wouldn’t have qualified for this money.”

According to a press release from the Patrick Administration, Division of Local Services funds “will help pay for debris monitoring and removal operations, leasing of temporary educational facilities for students displaced as a result of the storm, emergency response activities and facilities maintenance and repairs in the wake of the storm.”

Among the neighboring communities to receive this funding were Springfield ($7.3 million), Monson ($1.2 million), Wilbraham ($775,008) and East Longmeadow ($14,100). The Hampden-Wilbraham Regional School District received $16,594.

Ashe said that Hampden may have qualified for some of this funding, but any state reimbursement would have been based on recommendations from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).

“In order to prevent anyone from just saying, ‘Yeah, we have damage,’ the state relies on FEMA to assess what damage qualifies,” Ashe explained. “Whatever they were, the reimbursement numbers would have come from FEMA and while they may have qualified for some aid, they opted not to apply for it.”

Some areas of Hampden, namely the Ames Road neighborhood, was struck by the June 1, 2011 tornado, but the town had a difficult time receiving any aid from state or federal agencies.

“The area of Hampden that I toured was a small neighborhood where there was mostly tree damage and the people who lived in that area took it upon themselves to clear the debris because some roads were completely blocked and that was great,” Ashe said. “Some of the residents felt like there should be some compensation because it was very time consuming and I believe one piece of equipment was damaged.”

Requests for comment from Hampden Board of Selectmen Chair Richard Green were not returned as of press time.