Tenney, Faso send letter to Trump urging disaster declaration for Upstate New York
Representatives Claudia Tenney (NY-22) and John Faso (NY-19) urged President Trump to issue a disaster declaration in response to the flooding 14 counties in Upstate New York experienced in August. According to the National Weather Service, in the period of July 22 through Aug. 21, 2018, rainfall in these 14 counties reached between 10 and 20 inches. Water levels in lakes and creeks rose rapidly, leading to significant flash flooding.
“Unusually high levels of rainfall along with severe flash flooding, caused significant and costly damage to homes, infrastructure, and small businesses. The scope of damage is beyond the response capabilities of state and local governments, which warrants targeted federal recovery assistance,” said Tenney. “A declaration of a major disaster would provide the much-needed support to ensure our communities in Broome, Chenango and Tioga counties can address these costs and mitigate against future flooding. I stand ready to work with President Trump and FEMA to ensure all impacted receive the assistance they desperately need.”
“Many communities in Upstate are still trying to recover from the impacts of devastating flash floods in August, and state and local resources alone cannot effectively address the impact upon individuals and public infrastructure,” said Faso. “Further federal assistance is needed to help our resilient Broome, Delaware, and Columbia county residents recover and rebuild. I am hopeful the administration will take swift action to provide support to the many New York families and businesses that are faced with dire circumstances.”
The full text of the letter can be found here.