{"id":48223,"date":"2013-07-13T11:00:10","date_gmt":"2013-07-13T15:00:10","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/madisoncountycourier.com\/?p=48223"},"modified":"2013-07-13T10:13:46","modified_gmt":"2013-07-13T14:13:46","slug":"congressional-delegation-supports-assistance-for-homeowners-suffering-from-flood","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/madisoncountycourier.com\/?p=48223","title":{"rendered":"Congressional Delegation Supports Assistance for Homeowners Suffering from Flood"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Hanna<\/a>Entire federal delegation reiterates call on FEMA for disaster declaration following devastating flooding<\/p>\n

(Washington \u2013 July 12, 013)\u00a0U.S. Rep. Richard Hanna (NY-22) enlisted the entire New York congressional delegation in calling on the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to promptly issue a disaster declaration for recent flooding events throughout the state that includes granting Individual Assistance for homeowners suffering catastrophic losses.<\/p>\n

New York\u2019s senators and representatives sent a letter requesting that FEMA grant not only Public Assistance but also Individual Assistance for impacted counties.\u00a0New York Governor Andrew Cuomo requested a federal major disaster declaration in relation to severe flooding across Upstate New York, which began on\u00a0June 11. State officials have been working diligently with FEMA to determine damages sustained from widespread floods.<\/p>\n

Forty-five homes were destroyed and 140 homes sustained major damage. State officials have expressed concern that FEMA may rely on a discretionary \u201crule of thumb\u201d \u2013 not a law or regulation \u2013 to deny Individual Assistance to New York because 100 homes were not destroyed.\u00a0 Since 2006, FEMA has granted Individual Assistance for disasters in New York when far fewer homes were destroyed, so there is precedent for FEMA to show flexibility and provide Individual Assistance that our New Yorkers so desperately need.<\/p>\n

\u201cOur community is the first to stand up and help others in times of need; right now, we are in need,\u201d\u00a0Rep. Hannasaid. \u201cFEMA should not turn its back on the people of Central New York and the Mohawk Valley. We have weathered multiple storms and watched our homes and communities repeatedly swell with uncontrollable water. We need help and I am pleased all of my New York colleagues are standing behind this urgent request.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cMany of us have seen firsthand the heart-wrenching damage caused by flooding to homeowners, farmers and businesses over large regions of Upstate New York,\u201d the\u00a0delegation wrote in the letter.\u00a0\u201cMany impacted residents live in counties with relatively high poverty levels and low levels of flood insurance coverage.\u00a0 This is an economically depressed region in need of federal support at this time.\u201d<\/p>\n

Rep. Hanna this afternoon further pressed the case for Individual Assistance for flood victims in a personal telephone call with FEMA Regional Administrator Mary Anne Tierney.<\/p>\n

TYPES OF ASSISTANCE<\/p>\n

Public Assistance (PA):<\/p>\n

Public Assistance is provided to state and local governments and certain private, nonprofit organizations for the repair or replacement of disaster-damaged public facilities in disaster-declared counties.<\/p>\n

Individual Assistance (IA):<\/p>\n

The Individuals & Households Program (IHP) provides money and services to people in disaster-declared areas when their losses are not covered by insurance and their property has been damaged or destroyed.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

EXAMPLES OF IA BEING GRANTED WHEN LESS THAN 100 HOMES DESTROYED<\/p>\n

October 2006:\u00a0Lake effect snowstorm in Western N.Y.<\/p>\n

Homes destroyed:\u00a00<\/p>\n

November 2006:\u00a0Severe storms and flooding<\/p>\n

Homes destroyed:\u00a04<\/p>\n

August 2007:\u00a0Severe storms, flooding and tornado<\/p>\n

Homes destroyed:\u00a02<\/p>\n

Full text of letter from the Members of Congress is below:<\/p>\n

July 12, 2013<\/i><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/i>The Honorable W. Craig Fugate<\/i><\/p>\n

Administrator<\/i><\/p>\n

Federal Emergency Management Agency<\/i><\/p>\n

500 C Street S.W.<\/i><\/p>\n

Washington, D.C.\u00a0 20472<\/i><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/i>Dear Administrator Fugate:<\/i><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/i>On July 1, 2013, Governor Andrew Cuomo requested a federal major disaster declaration in relation to severe flooding across Upstate New York, which began on\u00a0June 11.\u00a0 New York State and impacted counties have been working diligently with FEMA to conduct Preliminary Damage Assessments to determine the amount of damage sustained, and it is our understanding that FEMA\u2019s standards for granting Public Assistance under a declaration have been exceeded.<\/i><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/i>However, based on recent conversations with FEMA officials, the State believes that FEMA may deny Individual Assistance to New Yorkers in areas which have been ravaged\u2014in many cases repeatedly\u2014by flooding in recent weeks.\u00a0<\/i><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/i>We strongly urge FEMA to promptly recommend a disaster declaration be issued for this flooding event and that this declaration include not only Public Assistance but also Individual Assistance for impacted counties.<\/i><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/i>We are aware that FEMA often operates under a rule of thumb that there be at least 100 destroyed homes statewide to activate Individual Assistance in areas where damage is concentrated.\u00a0 However, the sole requirement in FEMA regulations is that there be \u201cunmet needs,\u201d and your agency regularly exercises discretion in activating Individual Assistance in disasters with fewer than 100 destroyed homes.<\/i><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/i>The State has already provided FEMA with detailed information about damages individuals experienced in several counties.\u00a0 Assessments to date validate that 45 homes were destroyed and an additional 140 homes sustained major damage as a result of this flood event.\u00a0 It is possible that these figures may rise with damage assessments still underway.<\/i><\/p>\n

<\/i>FEMA regularly provides Individual Assistance under disasters with even less housing damage than what New York has experienced in this flood event.\u00a0 In New York State alone, since 2006, there has been a clear precedent for providing Individual Assistance in similar situations\u2014and often those less severe\u2014than this one.<\/i><\/p>\n

Many of us have seen firsthand the heart-wrenching damage caused by flooding to homeowners, farmers and businesses over large regions of Upstate New York.\u00a0 Many impacted residents live in counties with relatively high poverty levels and low levels of flood insurance coverage.\u00a0 This is an economically depressed region in need of federal support at this time.<\/i><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/i>Again, as members of New York\u2019s Congressional delegation, we urge you to use discretion at your disposal to swiftly approve major disaster declarations, including Individual Assistance and Public Assistance for counties impacted by major flooding which began in June 2013.<\/i><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/i>Thank you for your consideration of this request, which is of the utmost importance to our constituents in New York State struggling to recover and rebuild from devastating floods.\u00a0<\/i><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/i>Sincerely,<\/i><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/i>The letter was signed by:<\/p>\n

U.S. Senators:<\/span><\/p>\n

Charles Schumer<\/p>\n

Kirsten Gillibrand<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Members of Congress:<\/span><\/p>\n

Timothy Bishop<\/p>\n

Yvette Clarke<\/p>\n

Chris Collins<\/p>\n

Joseph Crowley<\/p>\n

Eliot Engel<\/p>\n

Chris Gibson<\/p>\n

Michael Grimm<\/p>\n

Richard Hanna<\/p>\n

Brian Higgins<\/p>\n

Steve Israel<\/p>\n

Hakeem Jeffries<\/p>\n

Peter King<\/p>\n

Nita M. Lowey<\/p>\n

Dan Maffei<\/p>\n

Carolyn Maloney<\/p>\n

Sean Patrick Maloney<\/p>\n

Carolyn McCarthy<\/p>\n

Gregory Meeks<\/p>\n

Grace Meng<\/p>\n

Jerrold Nadler<\/p>\n

Bill Owens<\/p>\n

Charles Rangel<\/p>\n

Tom Reed<\/p>\n

Jose Serrano<\/p>\n

Louise Slaughter<\/p>\n

Paul Tonko<\/p>\n

Nydia Velazquez<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Entire federal delegation reiterates call on FEMA for disaster declaration following devastating flooding (Washington \u2013 July 12, 013)\u00a0U.S. Rep. Richard Hanna (NY-22) enlisted the entire New York congressional delegation in calling on the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to promptly issue a disaster declaration for recent flooding events throughout the state that includes granting Individual […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[8],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-48223","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-top-story"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/madisoncountycourier.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/48223","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/madisoncountycourier.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/madisoncountycourier.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/madisoncountycourier.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/madisoncountycourier.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=48223"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/madisoncountycourier.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/48223\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/madisoncountycourier.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=48223"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/madisoncountycourier.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=48223"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/madisoncountycourier.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=48223"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}