Letter to United States President George W. Bush
Schumer Urges President, FEMA To Expedite Federal Assistance For Broome And Delaware Counties
U.S. Senator Charles E. Schumer today urged President George W. Bush and R. David Paulison, Director of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to expedite federal assistance for Broome and Delaware Counties after last Thursday's rains. Late yesterday, the Governor declared a state of emergency for the area, and is seeking federal aid. Schumer released the following letter:
President George W. Bush
President of the United States
The White House
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW
Washington, DC 20500
R. David Paulison
Director for Federal Emergency Management
500 C Street, SW
Washington, DC 20472
November 19, 2006
Dear President Bush, Director Paulison:
As you already know, severe storms hit areas of New York Thursday night, causing significant flooding and dangerous mudslides. It is my understanding that the situation in Broome and Delaware counties is dire enough that Governor Pataki has declared them to be in a state of emergency. He is now seeking technical assistance from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to assess the extent of the damage caused by the heavy rains. I urge you to ensure that the preliminary disaster assessments (PDAs) are completed as quickly as possible so that the residents, businesses and governments of these communities can move forward with their cleanup and restoration efforts without fear of having to bear the financial burden alone.
These two counties are among those that suffered most greatly from the devastating floods this summer. I have heard from many residents who had just finally finished fixing their homes from the June destruction, only to see their work washed away and the damage redone on Thursday night. One hundred and sixty-three families are still living in trailers, as their homes were left uninhabitable after the summer storms. It is essential that these families are safe and secure in their temporary trailers, and that progress on their permanent homes is not delayed by the most recent rains. The county governments are still steeped in heavy costs and restoration projects from six months ago; they can not shoulder the new expenses and labor that Thursday's storms have necessitated alone.
I urge you expeditiously complete the PDAs and to do everything required to assist those hit by the severe storms, paying particular attention to those who have now had to endure the financial and emotional costs of flood devastation twice in the past six months.
If you have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact Stacey Warady, in my office, at (202) 224-7276. Thank you for your consideration of this important matter.
Sincerely,
Charles E. Schumer
U.S. Senator
http://schumer.senate.gov/SchumerWebsite/pressroom/record.cfm?id=266062&&year=2006&