DoingItLocal

Hurricanes, flooding and home fires pose biggest threats to Connecticut

September is National Preparedness Month and the American Red Cross in Connecticut urges everyone to protect their loved ones by getting their households ready now.

So far this year, the Red Cross has responded to more than 350 disasters across Connecticut. The vast majority of these emergencies were related to home fires. In fact, our volunteer disaster action teams have assisted around 2,000 Connecticut residents after home fire in 2025 alone. River and coastal flooding may also put neighborhoods at risk this season.

“National Preparedness Month is a great time to ask whether your family would be ready if something unexpected happened tomorrow,” said Rebecca Johnson, regional disaster officer, Red Cross Connecticut and Rhode Island Region. “It’s not about being scared; it’s about being smart and looking out for the people you love. Taking a few simple steps now so that you have a plan can make all the difference when it matters most.”

HOW TO GET READY Disasters don’t wait for the “right time” — they can happen in the middle of the night, during your commute or while your kids are at school. Protect your family by making a plan to stay safe, gathering important supplies and knowing how you’ll stay connected by taking these steps:

• Depending on the emergency, you may need to stay where you are or go somewhere else to stay safe. If you may need to leave, think about where you’ll go, how you’ll get there, where you’ll stay and what you’ll take with you. Plan well in advance if you’ll need help leaving or use public transportation.
• Next, gather and organize critical supplies — like food, water and medicine — into a go-kit and a stay-at-home kit. Make sure to include backup batteries and chargers for your devices (cell phone, CPAP, wheelchair, etc.), a battery-powered or hand-crank radio, and critical personal records.
• Your go-kit should include three days of supplies that you can take with you. Your stay-at-home kit should have two weeks of food and water, and a one-month supply of medications, if possible.
• Customize your kit to meet your household’s specific needs. If you have young children, don’t forget formula and diapers. If you have pets, include leashes, carriers, food, bowls, litter and a litterbox.
• Finally, make a plan to reconnect with loved ones if you are separated or if the phone or internet is down. Write down important phone numbers on a contact card and carry it with you. 

Download the free Red Cross Emergency app for weather alerts, safety steps for different emergencies and expert advice in both English and Spanish. Don’t forget to sign up for local government emergency alerts to get critical local information — like evacuation notices — during an emergency.

People can also help their community be better prepared for disasters by giving blood, taking a class in lifesaving skills like CPR, or becoming a Red Cross volunteer. Visit redcross.org or call 800-RED CROSS (800-733-2767) to learn more today.

“Whether it’s a fire in someone’s home or a storm that destroys an entire town, disasters can happen anywhere, at any time,” Johnson said. “Taking a few minutes now to get ready will help you protect your loved ones if the worst happens.”

(HARTFORD, CT) – Governor Ned Lamont today announced that beginning on January 1, 2026, Connecticut’s minimum wage will increase from the current rate of $16.35 per hour to $16.94 per hour.

The change is required under a state law Governor Lamont signed in 2019 (Public Act 19-4) that connects the state’s minimum wage to economic indicators, specifically the percentage change in the federal employment cost index. Under that law, the minimum wage is required to be adjusted each year based on the U.S. Department of Labor’s calculation of the employment cost index for the twelve-month period ending on June 30 of the preceding year. The commissioner of the Connecticut Department of Labor is required to review this percentage change and announce any necessary adjustments by October 15 of each year. Those adjustments must take effect on January 1 of the following year.

Connecticut Labor Commissioner Danté Bartolomeo reports that the employment cost index increased by 3.6% over the twelve-month period ending on June 30, 2025, accounting for a $0.59 increase to the state’s minimum wage that will become effective on January 1, 2026.

“Nobody who works full-time should have to live in poverty,” Governor Lamont said. “For too long, as the nation’s economy grew the income of the lowest earning workers has stayed flat, making already existing pay disparities even worse and preventing hardworking families from obtaining financial security. This is a fair, modest increase, and the money earned will go right back into our own economy, supporting local businesses in our communities.”

“The minimum wage was established to provide a fair, livable baseline of income for those who work,” Lt. Governor Susan Bysiewicz said. “This is a fair, gradual increase for workers that ensures that as the economy grows, our minimum wage grows with it – and that’s good for everyone.”

“Minimum wage increases help Connecticut’s lowest wage workers keep pace with a growing economy,” Commissioner Bartolomeo said. “Indexing minimum wage to the employment cost index helps protect the most vulnerable earners from inflation and cost increases, and it helps keeps wage gaps from widening.”

According to the Current Population Survey as calculated by the U.S. Census Bureau and the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, more than 60% of minimum wage earners in Connecticut are women and people of color.

Continuing forward under this recently adopted law, Connecticut workers and employers can anticipate that announcements will be made by October 15 of each year declaring the change in the minimum wage that will become effective on January 1 of the approaching year.

(Hartford, CT) — Attorney General William Tong released the following statement regarding today’s court ruling on the remedies in the Google search antitrust case to restore competition in the market and for the benefit of consumers:

“Today’s decision is an important step towards restoring a fair, free and competitive digital advertising marketplace. Google abused its monopoly to quash innovation and competition, and their illegal conduct harmed us all. We will be watching them like a hawk and will not hesitate to return to the courts to safeguard free and fair competition,” said Attorney General Tong.

For years, the Google browser has been the dominant gateway for users to search the internet. Attorney General Tong joined a bipartisan coalition of 38 attorneys general in December 2020 in filing the states’ lawsuit against Google for illegally maintaining its monopoly over search engines and related search advertising through a series of anticompetitive contracts and conduct. The multistate lawsuit was a companion to an earlier federal antitrust lawsuit the Justice Department filed in October 2020.

In August 2024, a D.C. federal district court judge ruled in a landmark decision that Google has abused its monopoly power and harmed consumers in online search and search text ads. Earlier this year, the 38-state coalition of attorneys general and the Justice Department proposed a comprehensive and legally sound package of remedies to restore competition and spur renewed innovation in the search marketplace and to benefit consumers.