Letter to the Hon. Deanne Criswell, Administrator of the Federal Emergency Management Agency - Schumer, Gillibrand Urge FEMA To Stand Ready To Quickly Approve Disaster Declaration For New York City, Long Island & Hudson Valley Communities Ravaged By Tropical Storm Ida
Letter
Dear Administrator Criswell:
We write in strong support of New York City and the surrounding suburban counties, including Nassau, Suffolk, Westchester, Rockland, Orange, Putnam, Dutchess, Sullivan and Ulster that were recently deluged by Tropical Storm Ida. Last night, September 1, 2021, the remnants of Tropical Storm Ida paralyzed the New York City, Long Island, and Hudson Valley regions, dropping an unprecedented amount of rainfall, battering the local infrastructure, trapping thousands of New Yorkers, and tragically taking the lives of a number of our citizens. We urge the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to stand ready, if requested, to immediately work with affected cities, counties, and New York State to determine whether the damage meets the statutory threshold for FEMA disaster assistance, and if it does--to make assistance available as expeditiously as possible.
Given the scope and historic nature of this storm-- with New York City getting a record 3.15 inches of rain in Central Park over the course of just one hour and over 10 inches of rain falling in various communities -- we are confident that a FEMA disaster declaration and assistance will be necessary to meet the urgent need of thousands of New Yorkers and their communities that experienced significant amounts of damage, injury, and in some cases, loss of life. Governor Kathy Hochul declared a State of Emergency for New York, Bronx, Kings, Queens, Richmond, Nassau, Suffolk, Westchester, Rockland, Dutchess, Orange, Putnam, Ulster, and Sullivan counties to address the subsequent flood of homes, highways, roads, subways, and other public infrastructure.
As New York begins to recover from this storm, we are once again reminded and deeply appreciative of the prompt attention that the federal government has historically given when responding to disaster impacting New York State. In that spirit, we strongly urge you to approve any forthcoming requests for FEMA assistance from New York State with all due speed as affected communities begin their recovery from these storms.
Sincerely,
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