Governor Kathy Hochul on Friday requested a Major Disaster Declaration from President Biden to support the ongoing recovery efforts of communities impacted by the severe weather that occurred on July 10 and 11. If granted by the federal government, this declaration would provide federal funding for Cortland, Essex, Hamilton, Lewis, and St. Lawrence counties to cover debris removal, emergency protective measures and repairs to public buildings and infrastructure. New York continues to work with impacted localities to gather eligible damages to potentially support a request to the Small Business Administration for low interest loans.
“Our State witnessed an unprecedented number of tornadoes, heavy rains, and damaging winds in July that caused extensive damage throughout Central New York and the North Country,” Governor Hochul said. “Today, I’m requesting a Major Disaster Declaration that would unlock further federal assistance to support our ongoing efforts to help New Yorkers recover as communities continue to deal with the fallout of this historic weather event.”
A Major Disaster Declaration secures financial assistance from the federal government, primarily through FEMA’s Public Assistance Program, to provide funding to local governments, tribes and eligible non-profits for debris removal, protective measures, and repairs to public buildings and infrastructure, including roads, bridges, water and wastewater treatment facilities, critical infrastructure sites, schools, parks and other facilities.
Following a disaster, the Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Services’ (DHSES) Office of Disaster Recovery Programs works directly with counterparts at the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and impacted local governments to assess damages caused by, and costs related to, the disaster. Once these assessments are complete, FEMA validates whether the State and impacted counties have reached the required federal damage thresholds for a Major Disaster Declaration.
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