Summer 2024 was a blistering season of hot weather and severe storms in Connecticut, according to new federal data released this week.
Globally, August marked the fifteenth consecutive month of record-high temperatures.
Climate change, driven by more greenhouse gases, is tied to higher temperatures and stronger storms, according to long-term data.
In Connecticut, those global climate extremes are playing out locally.
In June and July, Gov. Ned Lamont activated the state’s extreme hot weather protocol three times, as the heat index soared into the 90s and above 100 degrees in parts of the state.
According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Hartford had its warmest period on record from June through August of this year. The average temperature was 75.5 degrees Fahrenheit — 3.6 degrees above normal, according to the Northeast Regional Climate Center.
2024 will likely be the warmest since people began tracking temperatures 175 years ago, according to predictions from NOAA’s National Centers for Environmental Information.
CT also sees record-setting precipitation
Connecticut also saw records for precipitation — with its second-rainiest January to August, according to federal data. Weather officials highlighted the August storm, which brought devastating rain and flooding to western Connecticut and killed three people.
After completing assessments of the damage last month, this week, Lamont formally requested a major disaster declaration to President Joe Biden. If approved, it could in part reimburse homeowners and businesses for some of the cost of repairing uninsured homes and businesses affected by the flooding.
“People who live in the communities impacted by this historic storm are shaken as many of them have experienced significant damage to their homes and businesses and need support to rebuild and recover,” the governor said in a statement.
Lamont’s request outlines how 19 homes were destroyed, 170 saw major damage, 133 were deemed inaccessible, and 615 homes have minor damage per FEMA guidelines. Businesses also were affected, with 77 experiencing major damage and 51 seeing minor damage.
This comes after Biden approved Lamont’s federal emergency declaration request in August, to get help from federal agencies with local cleanup and recovery.
