'Big rebuild job.' Gov. Lamont tours storm damage at Lighthouse Point Park in New Haven
Lamont says all funding options are on the table as the rebuild could cost millions.
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Millions of dollars - that's how much money state and local officials say it will cost to safely rebuild Lighthouse Point Park in New Haven after a freak thunderstorm destroyed it last week.
On Tuesday, days after 100 mph winds knocked the historic carousel building off its foundation, Gov. Ned Lamont visited the park to see the aftermath himself.
"This was a microburst or a tornado," Gov. Lamont says. "Call it what you will... it's a big rebuild job."
Crews have steadily made progress to sure up the 100-year-old building and cleanup dozens of trees that were heavily damaged in the storm.
City officials say restoring the building will be challenging.
"I think we were one gust or two gusts away from losing the whole thing," City of New Haven Engineer Giovanni Zinn says. "There's a lot of historic, structural things that we need to figure out."
Lamont says all funding options are on the table as the rebuild could cost millions.
"We're trying to accumulate this as best we can and get down to FEMA," Lamont says. "If it's a big number, we'll get FEMA reimbursement."
Mayor Justin Elicker says while the park is closed for the near future, the city is hoping to eventually reopen certain parts of the park in phases.
"The main message here is we will rebuild," Elicker says, "that's been clear from our city staff, and it's been clear by so many people who have reached out saying, 'how can we help?"
The carousel horses, which were left relatively unharmed in the storm, have been moved to a different location as crews rebuild.
