Moving the town of Oxford forward after devastating floods wrecked much of the area after Sunday’s storm. The first selectman laid out what’s ahead at a meeting Wednesday evening after President Biden approved an emergency declaration for Connecticut.
It’s a picture that speaks volumes to the damage in Oxford. The driveway to Ryan Kocsis’s house on Jackson Cove Road washed away during Sunday’s storm.
“I’m missing about 40 feet of my driveway. 20 feet deep right now,” he said.
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He said the only way of getting out is by foot.
“There’s no access in or out of the house. You’ve got to walk through the woods, over the fence, through neighbors’ yards just to get out of the property,” Kocsis said.
That’s how he got to Wednesday’s town meeting at Oxford High School where First Selectman George Temple outlined the resources available to help people rebuild and recover. It includes free access to dumps for debris and guidance on getting FEMA assistance, which was approved by the president.
“We’re pitching in and we’re going to try to alleviate their problem. We’re already working on it,” he said.
Temple said the community’s generosity has been a blessing, with a local church giving $100,000 for the recovery efforts.
“It is greatly appreciated. That’s the kind of response we need,” he said.
Some neighbors are stepping up to do their part, too.
“We’ll be here and help and do whatever we can to help these people,” Peggy Dunleavy, of Oxford, said.
Kocsis said he’s thankful for that support, but was frustrated with the town meeting, saying he’s left wondering if the town can do anything to fix his driveway.
“I thought it would be a lot more informative than just little bits,” Kocsis said.
Temple said if the driveway is private property, his hands are tied with town funds, but is willing to help in other ways.
“It takes patience and we’ll deal with it in a rational basis. He’s obviously concerned. I don’t blame him,” Temple said.
Temple said Congressman Jim Himes will be at Oxford town hall this Friday at 11 a.m. to go over the FEMA process. Senator Chris Murphy is also expected to survey the damage in town next week.
