SCHUMER CALLS WHITE HOUSE & PUSHES ADMINISTRATION TO BE READY TO IMMEDIATELY APPROVE DISASTER DECLARATION FOR ERIE & OTHER WNY COUNTIES BURIED BY HISTORIC SNOWSTORM
Schumer, in Personal Call With Senior White House Officials, Urges Administration
To Immediately Approve Any Disaster Declaration Request To Reimburse WNY
Counties that Are Still In Midst Of Massive Snowstorm; Fed Funds Would
Help Cover Clean-Up & Recovery Costs
Federal Disaster Declaration Would Make Available FEMA Disaster Assistance
Funds for Counties Like Erie, Chautauqua, Cattaraugus, Genesee & Wyoming
Schumer: We Need All Hands on Deck to Dig Out From This Epic Snowfall
and the Fed Gov Must Do All It Can – ASAP – To Support WNY
Communities Devastated By Snow
Today, U.S. Senator Charles E. Schumer called senior White House officials and urged the administration to be ready to immediately approve any request from New York State for federal support and resources for the ongoing and immense snow removal effort in Western New York. County officials have said they expect the cost of this disaster to meet the criteria needed for federal support, and, if it does, New York State will be able to seek a federal disaster declaration that would open the region up to receive federal funding. Schumer is requesting that the administration be ready to quickly approve any disaster declaration that is requested for the impacted counties: Erie, Chautauqua, Cattaraugus, Genesee & Wyoming.
“We need all hands on deck to dig out from this epic snowfall and the federal government must do all it can – ASAP – to support Buffalo, Erie County and all Western New York communities devastated by this historic snowfall. It is critical that we get federal resources on the ground as soon as possible, so that Erie County and the other impacted Western New York counties can dig out from the snow and recover and rebuild as quickly as possible,” said Schumer. “So we want the Administration to stand ready to immediately approve a federal disaster declaration the very moment it hits their desk, and to provide all forms of available aid for impacted municipalities, homeowners and businesses. This federal disaster assistance is necessary because it will give reassurance to our communities that the federal government will be there to help respond and recover. This snowstorm is beyond what anyone in Western New York has ever seen and we need every level of government to do all it can for the snow removal effort.”