Letter to Craig Fugate, Administrator of the Federal Emergency Management Agency - Reconsidering Decision to Deny Steuben County Federal Disaster Assistance for Major June Storm

Letter

Dear Administrator Fugate,

We write to express our support for Steuben County's request for an extension of the incident period of the disaster declaration for severe storms and flooding in the State of New York (DR-4180) from the 13th to the 22nd of May to include the storm event on the 8th of June. As you may recall, a disaster declaration was made for Steuben and 10 other counties in New York's Southern Tier and Western New York in May after devastating flooding. Continuous rain and major flooding on the 8thof June caused about $1 Million in additional damage in Steuben County.

Extending the time period of the disaster declaration would allow the many municipalities within Steuben County and the County itself the ability to fix infrastructure without putting a stranglehold on their budgets. In a small county, and in the many municipalities where damage occurred, these costs will be borne on the backs of local taxpayers. The additional costs would be crippling, especially because they occurred during the peak of construction season.

As continuous rain between the May flooding and the June flood event made construction very difficult, it is important that the disaster declaration be amended so that the county can make the necessary repairs to roads damaged on the 8th of June. We urge you to approve this request.

Sincerely,

U.S. Senators Charles E. Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand

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