Westchester, Rockland Receive $35M in Federal Aid

The following was written by Ryan Buncher and posted by Sarah Studley:

Just days after Hurricane Sandy, Congresswoman Nita Lowey joined an overflowing crowd in Piermont Village Hall as Piermont Mayor Chris Sanders stood on a table to address residents.

"I will never forget my friend standing on the table and talking to the community," Lowey said. "That was quite an experience. What was important was your efforts and those of other local officials here. People were really upset. They were angry or upset. What am I going to do? How am I going to do this? Local officials took charge."

Many of those local officials from both sides of the Tappan Zee Bridge joined Lowey as she returned to Piermont Tuesday to announce that Rockland and Westchester Counties have received $35 million in federal aid in recovering from Hurricane Sandy at a press briefing in Parelli Park.

"This very part was completely flooded," Lowey said. "I witnessed first hand the severity of Superstorm Sandy and the need for federal response. We worked to add Rockand and Westchester Counties to the major disaster declaration within days of landfall. In Congress, it was quite a fight, but we won. We won the Disaster Relief Appropriations Act, which provided $60 billion in response and recovery funds in New York, New Jersey Connecticut and others that suffered as a result of the storm."

Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) grants to Rockland County have reached $8.9 million. The total for Westchester County is now $26.4 million.

"One of the most important roles of our federal government is to help communities get back on their feet in the wake of a devastating natural disaster like Superstorm Sandy," Lowey said. "This badly-needed FEMA aid has been critical in helping our region rebuild and recover."

FEMA Public Assistance reimburses local an state governments for a large percentage of the cost of emergency response. Normally, the public assistance program covers 75 percent of the costs, but that was raised to 90 percent for expenses related to Sandy. 

Lowey said that there is still work to be done and is pushing for more money to be directed to communities recovering from Hurricane Sandy. She and local officials spoke of the importance of making improvements to help mitigate the impact of future storms.

"I think that's going to be the big issue going forward, figuring out ways to to keep these disasters from being as bad because we're seeing these 100-year storms every six months now, so we have to turn our attention to preventing (damage)," Irvington Mayor Brian Smith said.

In addition to Sanders and Smith, Orangetown Supervisor Andy Stewart, State Assemblywoman Ellen Jaffee, Rockland County Legislator Nancy Low-Hogan and Harrison Mayor Ron Belmont joined Lowey for Tuesday's briefing.

"It's a great day to recognize Chris and other mayors of the river villages that got hit so hard," Stewart said. "When you see boats sitting on Piermont Road and you see houses vacated because boilers and electric are flooded and you see the fire department collecting clothes and serving hot meals, you know Americans are rising to the challenge. We can't do it without government. It is appreciated what you've done to make sure the resources of government came to our local communities when the need was the greatest."

As an example, Sanders said that Piermont has received nearly $200,000 to cover the initial clean-up effort. 

"We are looking forward to the much-needed mitigation funding to help pay for projects that will protect Piermont from the damage of future storms," Sanders said. "After eight months since the storm, our collective focus turns to rebuilding Piermont better, stronger an smarter."

"The support Harrison has received through FEMA's Public Assistance grant program has been essential as we have recovered from Sandy, and I am grateful for Congresswoman Lowey's support and advocacy," Belmont said. "These funds will help ensure that local taxpayers do not pay a price for the costs associated with Harrison's response to Sandy. I hope that we can have access to further assistance to mitigate the threat of future storms."
Lowey also addressed that issue an the importance of finding ways to lessen the damage caused by emergencies. 

"While much progress has been made, the recovery for many Lower Hudson Valley homeowners and businesses continues," Lowey said. "That is why I will continue to fight for additional aid for local communities. We must also continue to invest in our infrastructure so that our region is better prepared for future disasters."