Connecticut declares drought advisory as wildfires continue
Governor Ned Lamont declared a Stage two drought advisory throughout Connecticut on Saturday, Nov. 9.
According to a press release from the governor’s office, out of the five stages of a drought advisory, Stage two identifies an “incipient drought,” declaring it “an emerging drought event that could potentially impact water supplies, agriculture or natural ecosystems.”
“The lack of rain over the past two months has caused exceptionally dry conditions across Connecticut, resulting in numerous wildfires and reduced groundwater levels and streamflows,” Lamont said in the press release. “We want to raise awareness that as this lack of rain continues, there is a possibility that this emerging drought event could intensify, which is why we want to encourage everyone right now to be mindful of their water consumption and take some simple, sensible steps to stretch water supplies.”
The press release suggests citizens take steps such as turning off automatic irrigation systems, fixing any leaking plumbing and following conservation requests from local water suppliers or municipalities to reduce their overall water usage.
According to the press release, the Connecticut Interagency Drought Workgroup, which consists of representatives from multiple state agencies who assess drought conditions made the recommendation to Lamont to declare the Stage two advisory after a meeting on Thursday, Nov. 7.
Martin Heft, chairman of the Connecticut Interagency Drought Workgroup, said conditions in Connecticut this fall have been “significantly drier than normal.”
“In terms of precipitation, we have had the driest two-month period ever recorded since records began in 1905 and have seen the impacts with increased fire danger conditions. We must begin early steps now to mitigate the potential for harm should the drought be prolonged,” Heft said in the press release.
This declaration comes after Lamont declared a state of emergency on Oct. 25 and Connecticut’s Department of Energy and Environmental Protection enacted a burn ban on Oct. 26. CT Insider reported yesterday that nine new brush fires broke out over the weekend, and a total of 82 are being tracked statewide.
Connecticut’s Democratic politicians react to the election
Connecticut Democrats held a press conference on Wednesday, Nov. 6, in which they congratulated the winners of Connecticut elections and expressed disappointment in the results of the presidential election.
U.S. Senator Richard Blumenthal said he was “deeply disappointed” and there could be “no sugarcoating the results at a national level.”
“I intend to do what I’ve always done, which is to fight for the people of Connecticut and hold accountable anyone who abuses their power, anyone who does harm to the people I represent,” Blumenthal said. “I will continue to work across the aisle whenever possible on issues where we should have common ground, particularly to make the economy work better for everyone.”
Blumenthal also mentioned reproductive rights, voting rights and online safety as issues he would continue to fight for.
Lieutenant Governor Susan Bysiewicz assured the people of Connecticut that they would keep the same values they have had in the past under the new administration, such as labor rights, reproductive rights and gun safety.
“Governor Lamont and I have worked with President Trump in the past, and we will be reaching out to them and to J.D. Vance because we want to work together on behalf of the people of Connecticut,” Bysiewicz said. “The governor and I are going to continue to focus on pocketbook issues, which the voters in our state and in our country have made clear they want us to focus on.”
Attorney General William Tong reiterated that despite his personal disappointment, the state would continue its fight against price gouging in the pharmaceutical industry, energy price increases and fossil fuel companies.
Comptroller Sean Scanlon expressed unhappiness with the result of the presidential election as well, but said he will continue to fight for Connecticut values and work across the aisle. Scanlon said that despite the divide in government, he believed most Americans want a more unified country, and politicians have a responsibility to be better versions of themselves.
Governor Ned Lamont began his speech by expressing his pride for the way “Connecticut people looked out for each other on both sides of the aisle” during a largely contentious election. He also said that despite his concerns about energy and healthcare and disagreements with president elect Donald Trump, he has “worked with President Trump before, and [he] can work with president elect Trump.”
Lamont recounted a personal story about the children he met on Halloween who were concerned about the election, such as a Hispanic child worried about deportation and a transgender child. Lamont said the Trump campaign “spent hundreds of millions of dollars mocking kids like this over the last three or four months.”
“I’d just like to give a message: here in Connecticut, we love you, we’re all God’s children, your friends want to see you in school tomorrow, and that’s what it means to be in Connecticut,” Lamont said.