SCHUMER, GILLIBRAND, ANNOUNCE ORANGE COUNTY TO RECEIVE CRITICAL FEMA INDIVIDUAL ASSISTANCE FOR DAMAGE FROM HURRICANE IDA
On September 1st, Remnants Of Hurricane Ida Caused Severe Flooding In NYC, Long Island, and Hudson Valley Regions, Damaging Homes With Record-Breaking Rainfall
Orange County Home Owners and Renters Who Had Damage or Losses From Ida Now Eligible for Housing Assistance, Crisis Counseling, Unemployment Assistance, Home Repairs, Legal Services
Families and Businesses, Including Those Without Flood Insurance, Now Able To Apply For FEMA Aide
After securing a disaster declaration for communities across NYC, Long Island and the Hudson Valley devastated by remnants of Hurricane Ida earlier this year, unlocking millions of dollars in federal aid to boost recovery efforts, U.S. Senate Majority Leader Charles E. Schumer and U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand, today announced that FEMA has granted Individual Assistance to Orange County.
On September 2, 2021, FEMA approved a disaster declaration for NYC, Long Island, Dutchess, Orange, Putnam, Rockland, Sullivan, Ulster, and Westchester counties. Individual Assistance, however, was approved initially for just Bronx, Kings, Nassau, Queens, Richmond, Rockland, Suffolk, Westchester, and later Dutchess County. Now, Orange County residents will be able to access critical additional resources for home repairs, such as repair or replacement of personal property, funds for moving and storage, or medical, dental, and childcare. Assistance can also include funds for temporary housing units, housing and driveway repairs, crisis counseling, unemployment assistance and legal services. Families without insurance coverage may also be eligible for aide covering some disaster expenses to help restore their homes or personal property.
“Hurricane Ida devastated communities across New York, and Orange County suffered millions in damage to roads, businesses, and hundreds of homes. I am proud FEMA has heeded our call for this vital federal assistance to provide individuals the support they need to recover and rebuild stronger.,” said Senator Schumer. “This critical aid will help get Orange County families, businesses, and communities on the road to recovery. I will continue to fight tooth and nail to ensure families throughout the Hudson Valley have all the resources they need to build back from Ida stronger than before. ”
“Given the scope and historic nature of Hurricane Ida, I strongly encourage all residents of Orange County to apply for the Individual Assistance Program,” said Senator Gillibrand. “I worked alongside Senator Schumer and our colleagues to unlock this emergency FEMA funding after Ida devastated homes and communities. This funding will go directly into the hands of Orange County residents and can make the difference in helping keep your family safe today and from future storms. If you need additional assistance, my office is here to help.”
The Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act authorizes the president to issue “major disaster” or “emergency” declarations before or after catastrophes occur. The decision to issue a disaster declaration is at the discretion of the president, and must be requested by the governor of the state. These declarations unlock federal aid through FEMA that is broken into two broad areas: Individual Assistance (IA) that aids families and individuals, and Public Assistance (PA) that is mainly for emergency work such as debris removal and permanent repairs to infrastructure. When assessing the degree of PA damage, FEMA considers six factors: estimated cost of the assistance, localized impact, insurance coverage, hazard mitigation, recent disaster, and programs of other federal assistance. Regarding the cost, FEMA has certain thresholds that have to be met to qualify for PA specific to the state and the counties in question.
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