Three teams from the Federal Emergency Management Agency fanned out across a half-dozen towns on Friday.

The information they collect could help Connecticut qualify for a “major disaster” declaration, which opens up direct cash assistance to flooded residents and business owners.

Frank Talarico doesn’t usually give tours of his septic business in Southbury. But federal disaster officials wanted to take a look, after a foot of rainfall left his whole operation underwater.

“I heard my tenant upstairs start yelling, ‘Oh my God! Oh my God’” he said.

Talarico and Sons is one of about 75 properties that FEMA and Small Business Administration crews assessed on Friday. Teams fanned out across Southbury, Monroe, Newtown and several other communities.

“Right now with the damage assessments, we’re looking at it with a much more broad brush,” said Diego Alvarado, a FEMA external affairs officer. “Just for the purposes of seeing whether there’s damage sufficient to warrant a major disaster declaration.”

Another team will deploy on Tuesday, and a “public assistance” team will assess damage to municipal property on Sept. 9.

“MAJOR DISASTER”

Flood victims will likely have to wait more than a month to get disaster checks in their hands.

Although President Joe Biden issued a federal emergency declaration for Fairfield, New Haven and Litchfield counties, it doesn’t provide direct assistance to residents and business owners.

For that to happen, the White House must declare a “major disaster.” To qualify, Fairfield County must report $3.9 million in damage, and New Haven County must rack up $4.4 million. That’s why it’s critical that flood victims report damage to the state’s Crisis Track system immediately.

“You’re doing your neighbor a favor by reporting your own damage, even if it seems less serious than your neighbor’s,” said Sen. Richard Blumenthal.

Blumenthal said it could take several weeks for Connecticut to finalize an application. Once it’s submitted, Biden must approve it.

Once the declaration is approved, flood victims can submit claims to FEMA and the Small Business Administration. FEMA offers individual assistance for up to $42,500 in uninsured structural damage, and another $42,500 for lost belongings.

But the help is limited.

“Can we get the house to be inhabitable? And that means, a working, viable kitchen or bathroom or a bedroom,” FEMA Coordinating Officer Bob Fogel told News 12 Connecticut last week. “It’s not the entire facility, the entire home.”

Talarico doesn’t want federal help, but reporting his damage means others can get it.

“I’m not looking for too much help. I'm self-sustained,” he said. “But there’s a lot of people around here that have it a lot worse.”