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Schumer Urges Governor to Appeal FEMA Decision Denying Extension of Flood Aid Through End of July

Date: Aug. 31, 2006
Issues: National Security


Schumer Urges Governor To Appeal FEMA Decision Denying Extension Of Flood Aid Through End Of July

Currently, Only Those Requesting Aid From June 26 - July10 Floods Qualify For Flood Aid

FEMA Has Denied Request To Extend Eligibility Period And Without Extension, Victims Of Late July Floods Will Be Left Ineligible For Aid

U.S. Senator Charles E. Schumer today urged Governor George Pataki to appeal the Federal Emergency Management Agency's (FEMA) decision to deny an extension of the incident period for this summer's flooding. If FEMA does not extend the incident period through July 31, 2006 many flood victims will be ineligible for aid.

"It is so important that this decision is appealed so that those who are still trying to recover their losses from this summer's flooding can receive FEMA aid," said Schumer. "The current incident period is arbitrary and does not reflect the actual timing of the floods. We must do everything possible to help these victims get back on their feet."

The current incident period qualifies those who suffered flood damage during the June 26-July 10 storms for FEMA aid. An extension would lengthen this period through July 31, 2006, allowing more people who were affected by the late July floods to apply for aid. The storms from June 26-July 31, 2006 devastated 21 counties throughout upstate New York. The residents of upstate New York suffered from an unusually long period of summer storms this year, and the resulting floods left behind destroyed homes, ruined infrastructure and drowned crops. The counties affected include: Broome, Chenango, Cortland, Delaware, Fulton, Greene Hamilton, Herkimer, Madison, Montgomery, Oneida, Orange, Otsego, Rensselaer, Schenectady, Schoharie, Sullivan, Tioga, Tompkins, Ulster, and Westchester Counties.

In a personal letter to Governor Pataki, Schumer wrote, "I urge you to appeal FEMA's decision before the deadline on September 28, 2006. Extending the declaration period will allow aid to continue to flow to those upstate communities still grappling with the damage they have suffered."

http://schumer.senate.gov/SchumerWebsite/pressroom/record.cfm?id=262402&&year=2006&

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