Editing Redding, Connecticut (section)

===Disasters===
Redding has experienced several disasters, including the 2020 [[pandemic]] of the [[COVID-19]] strain of [[coronavirus]], with Connecticut declaring on March 10, 2020, a public health emergency and federal agencies subsequently approving Connecticut for disaster assistance. Through June 30, the state of Connecticut listed 69 Redding residents as having contracted COVID-19 or probably so,<ref>{{cite web | title=COVID-19 Update June 30, 2020 | website=The State of Connecticut Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) | date=June 30, 2020 | url=https://portal.ct.gov/-/media/Coronavirus/CTDPHCOVID19summary6302020.pdf | access-date=June 30, 2020}}</ref> with eight town residents having died of complications from coronavirus.<ref>{{cite web | title=Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) | website=CT.gov | date=June 30, 2020 | url=https://portal.ct.gov/coronavirus | access-date=June 30, 2020}}</ref> Statewide, schools closed and businesses furloughed workers after the closure of work sites deemed "non-essential" with the state allowing a phased resumption of business activities starting May 20. More than 700 Redding residents filed initial claims for unemployment compensation between March 15 and June 29, with unemployment peaking in mid-April when 434 residents were receiving benefits.<ref>{{cite web | title=Statewide Claims Profile - State of Connecticut | website=Connecticut Department of Labor | date=June 29, 2020 | url=https://www1.ctdol.state.ct.us/lmi/claimsdata.asp | access-date=June 30, 2020}}</ref>

Most other disasters were the result of severe weather events including [[Hurricane Sandy]] with [[tropical storm]]-force winds when it reached Connecticut October 29, 2012, toppling trees throughout the town and cutting power to 98 percent of homes and businesses.<ref>{{cite web | title=Residents help clean up after Hurricane Sandy | website=The Redding Pilot | date=November 3, 2012 | url=http://www.thereddingpilot.com/6021/residents-help-clean-up-after-hurricane-sandy/ | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121103063122/http://www.thereddingpilot.com/6021/residents-help-clean-up-after-hurricane-sandy/ | archive-date=November 3, 2012 | url-status=dead | access-date=August 14, 2019}}</ref>

Sandy was the third storm to cause extensive electrical outages and property damage in Redding and Connecticut within the space of just over 14 months, along with [[Hurricane Irene]] in August 2011 and the so-called [[2011 Halloween nor'easter|"Halloween nor'easter"]] in late October that year. The nor'easter dropped extensive snow onto trees that still had foliage, resulting in an increased number of snapped branches and trunks that damaged property and power lines, with some areas not seeing electricity restored for 11 days.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.ferc.gov/legal/staff-reports/05-31-2012-ne-outage-report.pdf|title=Report on Transmission Facility Outages during Northeast Snowstorm of October 29-30, 2011: Causes and Recommendations|date=2011|website=Federal Energy Regulatory Commission|access-date=August 14, 2019|archive-date=February 24, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140224084107/http://www.ferc.gov/legal/staff-reports/05-31-2012-ne-outage-report.pdf|url-status=dead}}</ref>

In 1995, police arrested<ref>{{cite web | last1=Springer | first1=John | last2=Williams | first2=Thomas D. | title=Suspect in Killing of 5 'No Different' than Others | website=courant.com | date=April 30, 1995 | url=https://www.courant.com/news/connecticut/hc-xpm-1995-04-30-9504300115-story.html | access-date=August 14, 2019}}</ref> and a jury subsequently convicted<ref>{{cite web | last=Springer | first=John | title=Landlord Guilty in Murders | website=courant.com | date=April 25, 1998 | url=https://www.courant.com/news/connecticut/hc-xpm-1998-04-25-9804250166-story.html | access-date=August 14, 2019}}</ref> Geoffrey K. Ferguson on charges he shot and killed tenants Scott D. Auerbach and David J. Froehlich, as well as three other men named David A. Gartrell, Sean E. Hiltunen, and Jason M. Trusewicz, at a house in Georgetown.

Beginning October 15, 1955, heavy rains caused flooding along the Norwalk River and other Connecticut waterways.<ref>{{cite web | last=Jones | first=Mark | title=The Connecticut Floods of 1955 | website=cslib.org | date=July 12, 2014 | url=http://www.cslib.org/flood1955.htm | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140712205408/http://www.cslib.org/flood1955.htm | archive-date=July 12, 2014 | url-status=unfit | access-date=August 14, 2019}}</ref> The [[Flood of 1955 (Connecticut)|flood of 1955]] resulted in a dam failing at the Gilbert and Bennett factory and the inundation of the Georgetown neighborhood, amid other damage to property and infrastructure.<ref>{{cite web | last=Cruson | first=Daniel | title=The Flood of 1955 Pictures | website=History of Redding, Connecticut (CT) Past & Present | date=August 19, 1955 | url=http://www.historyofredding.net/HRfloodpictures.htm | access-date=August 14, 2019}}</ref>

A [[1938 New England Hurricane|1938 hurricane]] known as "the Long Island Express" destroyed crops in Redding,<ref>{{cite web | title=Our Katrina: Looking back on the Hurricane of 1938 | website=NewsTimes | date=September 21, 2008 | url=https://www.newstimes.com/news/article/Our-Katrina-Looking-back-on-the-Hurricane-of-1938-79480.php | access-date=August 14, 2019}}</ref> but western Connecticut was spared the brunt of the storm that was the most destructive in New England recorded history.<ref>{{cite web | last=Helman | first=Christopher | title=Where Will Sandy Rank Among These Worst U.S. Storms Of All Time? | website=Forbes | date=October 29, 2012 | url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/christopherhelman/2012/10/29/where-will-sandy-rank-among-these-worst-u-s-storms-of-all-time/ | access-date=August 14, 2019}}</ref>

The [[Great Blizzard of 1888]] (also known as the Great White Hurricane of 1888) buried Redding under significant snow in March that year, with one resident recollecting horses and cows "stood to their middles" in snow.<ref>{{cite web | last=Henderson-Shifflett | first=Jeannine | title=Blizzard of 1888 Devastates State | website=Connecticut History | date=March 14, 2017 | url=http://connecticuthistory.org/blizzard-of-1888-devastates-state/ | access-date=August 14, 2019}}</ref>