New York Gov. Kathy Hochul signs request for Major Disaster Declaration after Ida impact
NEW YORK (WABC) -- New York Gov. Kathy Hochul has signed a request for Major Disaster Declaration following the devastation from remnants of Ida.
The request to President Joe Biden seeks federal financial relief for local governments and New Yorkers.
"Get it over there. Get a bike, whatever it's going to take to get you there fast. I want that in the President's hands, in FEMA's hands, as soon as possible," Hochul said.
Once approved, the declaration would deliver individual and public assistance to New Yorkers impacted by the remnants of Hurricane Ida.
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Hochul, who signed the request during a press conference on Sunday, says New Yorkers who have been displaced, including uninsured families, will be eligible for the following:
- Funds for temporary housing assistance
- Crisis counseling
- Unemployment assistance
- Home repairs
- Legal services
A preliminary damage assessment has estimated $50 million in damages to public property and infrastructure from the storm, and at least 1,200 homes sustained serious impact.
The governor said she is dedicating $375 million to "building back resiliency" in New York, noting that another devastating weather event could hit the state at any time.
"I'm operating under the assumption that this could happen again in another 10 days," said Hochul. "What steps can we take immediately? What can we build on? What was done right? What needs to be done much, much better?"
Specifically, Hochul noted, "There has to be a better early warning system for people who are in their homes."
In a piece of good news, officials said that there are less than 500 storm-affected outages in the state, down from a peak of 52,000 earlier this week.
On Saturday, the city announced the opening of service centers to help support people recovering from the flash flood emergency caused by Ida.
The five centers will open from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., and will provide people with in-person support and information on resources and services available.
Officials are encouraging anyone affected to visit their local service center, call 311 or go online by visiting NYC.gov/ida.
This is breaking news. This story will be updated as more information becomes available.
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