Text of Senator Charles Schumer's Letter to George W. Bush President of the United States
The Honorable George W. Bush
President of the United States
The White House
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue
Washington, D.C.
Dear Mr. President:
I am writing to respectfully urge you to declare the ice storm that devastated fourteen New York counties last month a federal disaster. Doing so would release millions of dollars of sorely needed relief from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and would help municipalities cope with the crippling costs associated with cleaning trees and debris.
The National Weather Service has estimated that the ice storm brought accumulations of an inch thick. Hundreds of thousands of residents lost their power and heat, and hundreds of businesses had to temporarily close shop. New York State declared the region a disaster area and it is my strong hope that FEMA approves the application and expedites it so that these needy counties can receive as soon as possible all the support for cleaning and recovery that they need.
Although the cleanup is not yet complete, the costs to county and local governments for removing thousands of truckloads of brush and still more cubic yards of chips have been staggering. The State has spent nearly $4.4 million in Monroe and Wayne Counties alone, while Monroe County has spent $2.2 million, and its hardest hit towns have had to shell out as much as $1.5 million each. Cleanup in the northern suburbs of Onondaga County is expected to exceed $1 million, with Lysander spending $300,000, Clay $200,000, and Baldwinsville $100,000.
The other eleven counties declared states of emergency - Cayuga, Chenango, Livingston, Madison, Oneida, Ontario, Orleans, Oswego, Seneca, and Yates - remain in need of significant recovery assistance, as well.
Utility crews came from as far away as Maine and Maryland to help with the recovery effort. In just one town in Monroe County, called Greece, there was enough debris to fill a regulation size football field stacked nearly 30 feet high.
The FEMA assistance needed to help these localities recover is particularly vital considering the constant barrage of snow the area has already endured over the last several months. After one of the toughest winters of the last 100 years, where we saw snow fall almost daily in the Finger Lakes and Central New York, the ice storm made an expensive winter even pricier. The State has already declared the region a disaster area and has its troops helping the localities. It's now time for the federal government to step in, too.
Thank you for your attention to my request. As always, I appreciate your time and consideration.
Sincerely,
Charles E. Schumer
United States Senate