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ANDREW HANDED OUT OVER $13 MILLION

Governor Cuomo Delivers Flood Aid Checks to Residents of Herkimer, Montgomery, Madison, Oneida and Niagara Counties

Latest Action in Comprehensive Assistance by Governor to Help Areas Hit Hard by Flooding Rebuild, Recover and Prepare for Future Disasters

Governor Andrew M. Cuomo today issued $13.6 million in state aid checks to 1,206 homeowners, renters, businesses and farmers affected by July flooding across the Mohawk Valley, Central New York and Niagara County. The Governor today traveled to the Village of Herkimer, the City of Lockport, and the City of Oneida to personally deliver checks to dozens of New Yorkers that sustained serious losses as a result of the flooding.

“In times of crisis, government should work for the people, and today I am proud to say we have. A little over a month after announcing that the State would step in to provide the help the Federal Government didn’t, we are now sending checks to thousands of homeowners, renters, businesses and farmers who are still recovering from this summer’s floods,” said Governor Cuomo. “By acting quickly and efficiently to expedite the process, in a few short weeks money has begun to flow to enable residents in these communities to begin the recovery process and build back better than before.”

This is the latest action taken by the Governor as part of the comprehensive assistance and delivery of aid to help the communities devastated by flooding this summer rebuild, recover and prepare for future disasters. Immediately following FEMA’s decision to deny recovery funding to homeowners, the Governor announced the launch of the Mohawk Valley and 2013 Upstate Flood Recovery Program to allow residents who sustained damage to their homes to receive much needed funding and rebuild. In addition, last week, Governor Cuomo announced that, at his request, FEMA extended the application period for Public Assistance to September 10th in the counties affected by the late June/early July flooding. After the floods, the Governor also deployed the Department of Financial Services’ Mobile Command Center to outline resources and advice for affected families and businesses dealing with their insurance companies. Finally the Governor launched the New York Rising Communities Reconstruction program, which will deliver a total of $6 million to counties hit by summer flooding, enabling them to build more resilient infrastructure that will better protect them from future natural disasters.

Below is a county by county breakdown of the funding:

County Checks Issued Total Amount
Herkimer 558 $6,604,757.00
Oneida 145 $1,636,791.42
Montgomery 104 $1,419,207.23
Madison 86 $1,678,688.18
Niagara 313 $2,276,031.13
Total 1,206 $13,615,480.96

Below is a breakdown of the funds by county, then by homeowner, renter, small businesses and farms:

County Checks Issued Total Amount Homeowners Renters Small Businesses Farms
Herkimer 558 $6,604,757.00 496/ $5,659,171.80 25/ $61,988.47 24/ $552,902.34 13/ $330,694.29
Oneida 145 $1,636,791.42 135/ $1,208,584.66 1/ $10,075.26 5/ $250,000.00 4/ $168,131.50
Montgomery 104 $1,419,207.23 67/ $937,638.82 20/ $60,415.77 11/ $269,506.74 6/ $151,645/90
Madison 86 $1,678,688.18 65/ $1,407,290.70 9/ $33,365.26 6/ $154,759.56 6/ $83,272.66
Niagara 313 $2,276,031.13 281/ $1,987,531.29 24/ $50,356.01 7/ $237,277.75 1/ $886.08
Total 1,206 $13,615,480.96 1,044/ $11,200,217.27 79/ $216,200.77 53/ $1,464,446.41 30/ $734,630.43

Additional applications are currently being processed and more checks will be issued in the coming days.

For homeowners, eligible costs include the repair and/or replacement of damage to roofs, windows, doors, siding, flooring, drywall, insulation, foundations, well and septic systems, electric systems, fuel tanks, heating and water systems, and appliances, as well as remediation of environmental hazards. Homeowners whose properties were destroyed by these floods were also eligible for a buyout of their damaged property.

For businesses, eligible costs included reimbursement for losses to inventory, equipment, materials, fixtures and furniture; as well as design, construction, rehabilitation or reconstruction of flood damaged structures.

For farms, funding was available to help with farm capital repair and replacement needs.

Senate Majority Coalition Leader Dean G. Skelos said, "Today, New York State is delivering on its commitment to Upstate residents whose homes and businesses were devastated by recent flooding. By stepping up and covering what the federal government would not, the State is giving the people in these hard-hit communities the ability to rebuild, move forward and get on with their lives. We will continue to stand with the residents of the Mohawk Valley and Niagara County during this difficult time."

Senate Majority Coalition Leader Jeffrey D. Klein said, “Governor Cuomo and my colleagues in the legislature will always stand by New Yorkers in their time of need. It has been a tough ten months for New York homeowners, with severe storms and flooding affecting millions of residents. But by rapidly delivering aide to affected homeowners, we’re now able to help these communities rebuild. I commend Governor Cuomo and his administration for working hard to get these checks out so quickly and I look forward to helping more homeowners get the funds they need in the weeks and months ahead.”

Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver said, “This state has demonstrated time and again its commitment to helping New Yorkers recover after widespread destruction. In recent years, we have learned firsthand the kind of devastation brought about by hurricanes, flooding, snow and ice storms as well as the cost and challenges that homeowners, businesses and farmers face in trying to rebuild. I am pleased to join with Governor Cuomo and my colleagues in the Legislature to expedite this funding, which will provide essential relief and accelerate the restoration of our communities affected by this year’s flooding.”

Senator George D. Maziarz said, “Mother Nature has not been kind to New York State over the past few years, and this summer’s floods made that particularly true in Western New York. Despite the initial damage to our communities, we are committed to rebuilding to new heights, and Governor Cuomo’s swift implementation of the NYS Flood Recovery Program is helping to make that happen. I’m thankful for the Governor’s ongoing support of Western New York, and know that he will continue to be an active partner in our efforts to build up and onward from what was lost.”

Assemblyman John Ceretto said, “Governor Cuomo has shown true leadership for our community as we worked to not only weather this summer’s storms, but also build back from the damage they caused. The NYS Flood Recovery Program is an example of government working as it should: coming together to quickly meet the needs of the people. We cannot undo the damage that has been done, but with the Governor’s help we are providing much-needed aid to ease the costs of recovery and speed the process of building back better than before.”

Assemblywoman Jane Corwin said, “The NYS Flood Recovery Program is an important asset to the homeowners, businesses, and farmers in Western New York who are working to rebuild and replace what was lost or damaged in this summer’s flooding. Governor Cuomo was instrumental in quickly pledging and delivering aid to those in need, and I am thankful for his continued support of our community both from Albany in his visits to our communities.”

William Ross, Chairman of the Niagara County Legislature said, “With the arrival of funding from the NYS Flood Recovery Program, families, farmers, and business owners can breathe a sigh of relief from the stress of this year’s flooding and the ensuing recovery process. Governor Cuomo’s commitment earlier this summer was welcome news, and the distribution of this aid is the manifestation of that commitment that impacted individuals in our region were counting on.”

Lockport Mayor Michael Tucker said, “With aid from Governor Cuomo’s NYS Flood Recovery Program on its way to impacted home and business owners, the work of rebuilding and replacing what was lost or damaged in this summer’s flooding gets easier. The Governor stepped up to the plate for us at a time when federal assistance was not possible, and I am thankful to count him as a friend and advocate for our community in Albany.”

Patricia Garver, a resident of Lockport who received funding from the program, said, “As a resident of Western New York for more than 30 years, I can say with confidence that I have never seen anything like the flooding that tore apart my home and so many others this summer. Repairing the damage that had been done and replacing what was lost was almost too much to bear – and I certainly didn’t count on getting any help from the government. Then Governor Cuomo stepped up and promised that aid would be available for people like me, and today he’s made it happen. I am so thankful for Governor Cuomo’s hard work and his commitment to making government function the way it should.”

The NYS Flood Recovery Program is a coordinated effort by the NYS Department of Homeland Security and Emergency Services (NYS DHSES), NYS Homes and Community Renewal (NYS HCR) and the NYS Department of Agriculture and Markets (NYS DAM).

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