Letter to The Honorable Nancy Ward, Acting Administrator, Federal Emergency Management Agency

Letter

Letter to The Honorable Nancy Ward, Acting Administrator, Federal Emergency Management Agency

IN SUPPORT OF NEW YORK'S FEDERAL APPEAL, SCHUMER & GILLIBRAND URGE FEMA TO REVERSE ITS INEXPLICABLE DECISION TO DENY NYS A MAJOR DISASTER DECLARATION THAT WOULD EXPEDITE FEDERAL AID TO 16 COUNTIES FOLLOWING ICE STORM

Capital Region and Hudson Valley Sustained Nearly $27 Million in Damages Due to December's Devastating Ice Storm

But FEMA Has Refused to Issue a Major Disaster Declaration That Will Bring Additional Millions in Federal Assistance to 16 Counties in NYS

U.S. Senators Charles E. Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand today urged the Federal Emergency Management Agency to reverse its inexplicable decision to deny New York State a major disaster declaration following December's devastating ice storm that caused nearly $27 million in damages. In support of Governor David Paterson's federal appeal, Schumer and Gillibrand wrote a personal letter to acting FEMA Administrator Nancy Ward urging them to issue the declaration that would bring additional millions to 16 counties in Upstate New York to help pay for the damage from the storm.

"There is no reason to hold up this money when such a large amount of damage was sustained by Upstate New York counties. This storm hit swiftly and with great force and the counties should not have to foot this bill on their own. I will do everything I can in support of New York State's federal appeal and to secure the funds needed to expedite federal aid to the region," Schumer said.

"This ice storm caused millions of dollars of damage to my former Congressional district and I can't think of a more clear case of needing FEMA assistance," said Senator Kirsten Gillibrand. "I implore Acting Administrator Ward to re-assess FEMA's decision and provide the assistance that is so badly needed in the Capital Region."

A disastrous ice storm hit the Northeast on December 11th, including multiple counties throughout Upstate New York. Reports now indicate that this is the worst ice storm in over twenty years to hit New York's Capital Region and has led to the tragic loss of three lives and widespread destruction and property damage. Damages are estimated to cost a staggering $27 million. At the height of the storm, nearly 300,000 New York homes and businesses were without power.

On Monday, December 15, Senator Schumer and Governor Paterson toured the ice storm damage in Niskayuna, Schenectady County, where over 95 percent of residents were initially without power and 50 percent of residents remained without power that day.

Following their push, on December 18, 2008, President Bush issued an emergency declaration for the region which made available limited direct sources of federal assistance. However, assessments have recently revealed the full extent of the damages caused by the storm and many of the affected local communities still need federal aid to offset the costs.

Recognizing the urgency and extent of the damage, Schumer and Gillibrand have long been pushing for an immediate major disaster declaration from President George W. Bush and FEMA for the 16 counties hit by the storm, including Albany, Columbia, Chenango, Delaware, Dutchess, Greene, Otsego, Orange, Putnam, Rensselaer, Saratoga, Schenectady, Schoharie, Sullivan, Ulster and Washington Counties. Today, Governor Paterson appealed FEMA's decision to deny the major disaster declaration.

In an effort to help, Schumer and Gillibrand wrote a personal letter to FEMA Acting Administator Ward, saying : "We therefore enthusiastically support New York's appeal and urge an immediate reversal of FEMA's unjustified dismissal of New York's application for a major disaster declaration, despite the State's having met the statutory requirements for such a declaration. New Yorkers can no longer stand by as critical federal aid is dangled just out of reach."

A full copy of the letter is below:

February 4, 2009

The Honorable Nancy Ward
Acting Administrator
Federal Emergency Management Agency
Department of Homeland Security
500 C Street SW
Washington, DC 20472

Dear Acting Administrator Ward:

We write to express our support for New York State's appeal of Federal Emergency Management Agency's inexplicable decision to deny the State a major disaster declaration as a result of the damages wrought by the ice storm that hit the Northeast on December 11, 2008.

Sixteen counties throughout New York, including Albany, Chenango, Columbia, Delaware, Dutchess, Greene, Orange, Otsego, Putnam, Rensselaer, Saratoga, Schenectady, Schoharie, Sullivan, Ulster, and Washington Counties sustained damages in excess of over $25 million, surpassing the per-capita threshold required for an issuance of a major disaster declaration. After meticulous damage assessments and at-length state consultations with regional FEMA officials, New York's Governor David A. Paterson submitted a request for a major disaster declaration with the understanding that the request had met all the necessary criteria for approval. Despite the comprehensive work and assessments of local, state and federal officials, FEMA issued an inexplicable denial of federal aid through a major disaster declaration. The New York communities struggling to recover with desperately limited resources deserve relief now.

As you know, a disastrous ice storm hit the Northeast on December 11th, including many counties throughout New York. Reports now indicate that this was the worst ice storm in over twenty years to hit New York's Capital Region, resulting in the tragic loss of three lives, widespread destruction and property damage. At the height of the storm, nearly 300,000 New York homes and businesses were without power. In addition, a series of debilitating winter storms that hit New York after December 11th have delayed and exacerbated many recovery efforts.

On December 18th, President Bush announced an emergency declaration for 16 New York counties, acknowledging the dire conditions that localities and the State were facing due to the storm's damage. This declaration was an important first step on the way to recovery. New York State's subsequent application for a major disaster declaration met both the county-wide and statewide per-capita thresholds required by the federal Stafford Act for such a declaration. Damage costs have well exceeded the required $25 million trigger in costs to local and state governments. New York's damage assessment of nearly $27 million makes up 36% of the total interstate damage costs. Yet New York is the only state severely affected by the storm that has not received a major disaster declaration. Furthermore, with some counties reaching unbelievable per-capita damage costs, such as a staggering $151 per-capita assessment in Delaware County alone, many of the affected communities simply cannot bear the burden of these costs on their own.

We therefore enthusiastically support New York's appeal and urge an immediate reversal of FEMA's unjustified dismissal of New York's application for a major disaster declaration, despite the State's having met the statutory requirements for such a declaration. New Yorkers can no longer stand by as critical federal aid is dangled just out of reach. Thank you for your attention to this important matter.

Sincerely,

Charles E. Schumer Kirsten Gillibrand

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