Governor Hochul Secures Emergency Disaster Declaration from President Biden after Tropical Depression Ida Devastates New York

 

Emergency Disaster Declaration For 14 Affected Counties Provides Up to $5 Million in Immediate Federal Funding to Support Response Operations Ahead of Completion of FEMA Damage Assessments 

  

FEMA to Begin Damage Assessments on September 3 and Will Expedite Process at Governor Hochul's Request

State Agency Emergency Response Assets Continue to Assist Localities in Cleanup and Restoration Efforts in Wake of Historic Rainfall and Flooding Event

7,900 Customers Still Without Power

DEC Staff Continue to Monitor for Potential Damage to Wastewater Infrastructure, Respond to Reports of Petroleum Spills and Survey Integrity of Dams and Levees

Closures Persist on U.S. Route 9, State Route 100, and the Saw Mill River Parkway in Westchester County

Service on Metro-North's Hudson Line and New Canaan and Danbury Branches Remain Suspended

Department of Financial Services Mobile Command Center Located in Yonkers, Westchester County, on September 3; DFS Staff on Site at Grinton I. Will Public Library, 1500 Central Park Avenue, Yonkers, NY, 10710

 Governor Kathy Hochul today announced that President Biden has approved an Emergency Disaster Declaration for New York following the devastation caused by Tropical Depression Ida and its unprecedented, historic rainfall. The counties covered by the declaration include: Bronx, Dutchess, Kings, Nassau, New York, Orange, Putnam, Queens, Richmond, Rockland, Suffolk, Sullivan, Ulster, and Westchester.

Under an Emergency Declaration, up to $5 million in immediate federal funding is made available to impacted counties to support ongoing response and rescue operations prior to issuance of a traditional Major Disaster Declaration. 

Governor Hochul also announced that at her request, FEMA will work with the State Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Services, as well as local partners to begin an expedited damage assessment process, which is required for a Major Disaster Declaration, on September 3.

At Governor Hochul's direction, State agencies' emergency response assets are on the ground helping local partners with cleanup and restoration efforts. 

"As Downstate areas recover from this extreme weather event, I have requested and secured an Emergency Disaster Declaration from the federal government that will help provide localities with funding and relief in the initial restoration efforts. I will continue to urge the federal government to expedite the damage assessment process to provide all the federal resources available to ensure New Yorkers get what they need to recover from this historic storm," Governor Hochul said. "We are committed to providing all the necessary resources for New Yorkers to recover from the historic, devastating flooding, and I have directed all State agencies on the ground to continue to help these impacted areas with cleanup missions."