President Declares Major Disaster For The State Of New York 

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security's Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) today announced that federal disaster assistance has been made available to the state of New York to supplement state and local recovery efforts in the area struck by storms, flooding, tornadoes, and straight-line winds during the period of April 26 to May 8, 2011.

Federal funding is available to state and eligible local governments and certain private nonprofit organizations on a cost-sharing basis for emergency work and the repair or replacement of facilities damaged by the severe storms, flooding, tornadoes, and straight-line winds in the counties of Allegany, Broome, Chemung, Chenango, Clinton, Delaware, Essex, Franklin, Hamilton, Herkimer, Lewis, Madison, Niagara, Oneida, Onondaga, Ontario, Steuben, Tioga, Ulster, Warren, and Yates.

Federal funding is also available on a cost-sharing basis for hazard mitigation measures statewide.

John Long has been named as the Federal Coordinating Officer for federal recovery operations in the affected area.  Long said additional designations may be made at a later date if requested by the state and warranted by the results of further damage assessments.