Early Christmas gift for upstate New York: Disaster area declaration

Many residents of upstate New York spent the 2014 Thanksgiving holiday digging out from a record-setting winter storm, followed by severe flooding.

As a result, on Dec. 22, President Obama declared certain counties in the state disaster areas, providing state, local and tribal governments as well as residents and businesses with an early Christmas present. In addition to helping the state of New York pay for storm-related damage to infrastructure, the declaration may help individuals and businesses recover from losses beyond the amounts their insurance policies cover.

The president’s action makes federal funding available on a cost-sharing basis for emergency work or repairs to facilities damaged by the winter storm in the counties of Cattaraugus, Chautauqua, Erie, Genesee, Jefferson, Lewis, Orleans, St. Lawrence, and Wyoming. According to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), the aid will supplement state, local and tribal recovery efforts in areas affected by the November 17–26, 2014 storm.

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William L. Vogel, the Federal Coordinating Officer for federal recovery operations in the affected area, said additional designations may be made at a later date if requested by the state and warranted by the results of further damage assessments.

Available federal disaster aid programs

Key federal disaster aid programs that can be made available as needed and warranted under the major disaster declaration include the following:

• Payment of 75% of the eligible costs for repairing or replacing damaged public facilities, such as roads, bridges, utilities, buildings, schools, recreational areas and similar publicly owned property, as well as the eligible costs of certain private nonprofit organizations engaged in community service activities.
• Payment of 75% of the eligible costs for removing debris from public areas and for emergency measures taken to save lives and protect property and public health.
• Federal funding to the state and eligible tribal and local governments on a cost-sharing basis for snow assistance for a continuous 48-hour period during the incident period.
• Payment of up to 75% of the approved costs for hazard mitigation projects undertaken by state, local and tribal governments to prevent or reduce long-term risk to life and property from natural or technological disasters.

How to apply for assistance

Application procedures for the state, local and tribal governments will be explained at a series of federal/state applicant briefings with locations to be announced in the affected area by recovery officials. Approved public repair projects are paid through the state from funding provided by FEMA and other participating federal agencies.