Popular Searches
Print
E-mail
Comment
Rate
Share
FEMA denies aid for storm damage
By Francesca Olsen
Although Columbia County suffered close to $5 million in damage from the July 30 storm, FEMA has told county Emergency Management Coordinator Bill Black that the county’s application for aid has been denied.
“We have been denied under the original application that the governor’s office sent to FEMA,” Black told the Register-Star. The county has requested that the State Emergency Management Office (SEMO) appeal the decision and relook at the damage from the storm, as well as the “extreme financial hardship” the county faced over the last year as a result of weather damage.
SEMO has written an appeal, Black said, which has been sent to Gov. David Paterson and FEMA for review. “We’re also asking our congressional and federal representatives to write letters to Washington requesting assistance for Columbia County,” Black said.
Over the last year, the county faced a brutal ice storm in December 2008 which also cost the county close to $5 million in damage and the July 2009 flooding, most notably. “We still haven’t been paid from the December ice storm,” Black said.
Towns have already paid for cleanup associated with the July flooding, and without reimbursement from FEMA or elsewhere, it’s uncertain where the money will come from.
Black spent several days with SEMO and FEMA representatives, surveying the countywide damage from flooding after the storm cleared.
“I spent a week with the State Emergency Management personnel,” he said. “They had two different assessment groups here, and FEMA came into the county, and we spent three days with FEMA doing the same thing the state did the week before, just to confirm our numbers were accurate.”
A preliminary damage assessment was submitted as a result of the visits; the damage estimate was complied by the state and FEMA. “Those are their assessment numbers, not ours,” Black said.
New York state did not meet its threshold of $23 million in damages in order to qualify for federal assistance; the eastern counties of New York, Black said, totaled about $8 million. Columbia County’s initial threshold to meet in order to qualify for FEMA aid was $226,000, but since the state’s threshold wasn’t met, the county doesn’t qualify.
FEMA approved a request from Gov. Paterson for aid to communities in western New York state, including Cattaraugus and Erie counties, where towns were damaged by flooding from the same storm, according to a press release from Paterson’s office dated Sept. 4.
“At this point, they’re saying they weren’t the same storm venue. At this point they can’t consider it one occurrence,” said Black. “I understand there have to be certain thresholds, but when a county has gone through financial hardships over the past few months, I think there has to be a special consideration.”
Board of Supervisors Chairman Art Baer, R-Hillsdale, said he has already sent letters to U.S. Senators Charles Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand, as well as Congressman Scott Murphy, D-20th.
“There seems to be no justification for excluding those counties from the declaration. The same storm was involved. To exclude one group of counties and not another doesn’t make sense,” Baer said.
Supervisors Doug McGivney, D-Kinderhook and Phil Williams, D-Livingston, are also contacting their state and federal representatives, according to Baer.
“We’re going to explore everything,” he said. “Our emergency management people are exploring all options constantly with their state colleagues to try to figure out how to get some aid here.
“Beyond that, it’s not like we’re in control of the situation. We’re only in control of the issue on the ground here, keeping the roads and streets of the county operational for the residents,” Baer said. “It’s very hard for me to understand how an agency like FEMA, who sent people out here, why they would imagine our damage is less of an emergency, less of a disaster, than another county. I don’t understand the reasoning.
“If we don’t (get reimbursement), every town that was affected by those storms will have some difficulty paying the remediation. It will be a hardship, clearly, for the towns, perhaps more than the county. It would be a serious matter for a number of towns,” Baer said.
Many towns are still submitting damage from the December ice storm, including Hillsdale. “We haven’t gotten full reimbursement from the ice storm damage,” Baer said. “Immediately being thrust into having to pay more money out for the flooding storms...it’s one thing on top of another. There’s no break in between.”
In Kinderhook, the town board recently voted to borrow against expected FEMA funds, not to exceed $300,000. If the FEMA reimbursements are not appealed for Columbia County, it’s unclear what situation Kinderhook could have on its hands regarding the loan.
Adding to this, September is the month when towns begin the preliminary budget process, and the added weight of whether or not to budget for FEMA reimbursements is a challenge.
“We are not going to budget the fact that we’re not going to receive the reimbursement,” said Baer about the Hillsdale town budget. “We’re going to assume that we will not have to pay for that out of next year’s budget. I’m not going to go to the taxpayers at this point and ask them to pay for it.”
To reach reporter Francesca Olsen call 518-828-1616, ext. 2272, or e-mail folsen@registerstar.com.
“We have been denied under the original application that the governor’s office sent to FEMA,” Black told the Register-Star. The county has requested that the State Emergency Management Office (SEMO) appeal the decision and relook at the damage from the storm, as well as the “extreme financial hardship” the county faced over the last year as a result of weather damage.
SEMO has written an appeal, Black said, which has been sent to Gov. David Paterson and FEMA for review. “We’re also asking our congressional and federal representatives to write letters to Washington requesting assistance for Columbia County,” Black said.
Over the last year, the county faced a brutal ice storm in December 2008 which also cost the county close to $5 million in damage and the July 2009 flooding, most notably. “We still haven’t been paid from the December ice storm,” Black said.
Towns have already paid for cleanup associated with the July flooding, and without reimbursement from FEMA or elsewhere, it’s uncertain where the money will come from.
Black spent several days with SEMO and FEMA representatives, surveying the countywide damage from flooding after the storm cleared.
“I spent a week with the State Emergency Management personnel,” he said. “They had two different assessment groups here, and FEMA came into the county, and we spent three days with FEMA doing the same thing the state did the week before, just to confirm our numbers were accurate.”
A preliminary damage assessment was submitted as a result of the visits; the damage estimate was complied by the state and FEMA. “Those are their assessment numbers, not ours,” Black said.
New York state did not meet its threshold of $23 million in damages in order to qualify for federal assistance; the eastern counties of New York, Black said, totaled about $8 million. Columbia County’s initial threshold to meet in order to qualify for FEMA aid was $226,000, but since the state’s threshold wasn’t met, the county doesn’t qualify.
FEMA approved a request from Gov. Paterson for aid to communities in western New York state, including Cattaraugus and Erie counties, where towns were damaged by flooding from the same storm, according to a press release from Paterson’s office dated Sept. 4.
“At this point, they’re saying they weren’t the same storm venue. At this point they can’t consider it one occurrence,” said Black. “I understand there have to be certain thresholds, but when a county has gone through financial hardships over the past few months, I think there has to be a special consideration.”
Board of Supervisors Chairman Art Baer, R-Hillsdale, said he has already sent letters to U.S. Senators Charles Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand, as well as Congressman Scott Murphy, D-20th.
“There seems to be no justification for excluding those counties from the declaration. The same storm was involved. To exclude one group of counties and not another doesn’t make sense,” Baer said.
Supervisors Doug McGivney, D-Kinderhook and Phil Williams, D-Livingston, are also contacting their state and federal representatives, according to Baer.
“We’re going to explore everything,” he said. “Our emergency management people are exploring all options constantly with their state colleagues to try to figure out how to get some aid here.
“Beyond that, it’s not like we’re in control of the situation. We’re only in control of the issue on the ground here, keeping the roads and streets of the county operational for the residents,” Baer said. “It’s very hard for me to understand how an agency like FEMA, who sent people out here, why they would imagine our damage is less of an emergency, less of a disaster, than another county. I don’t understand the reasoning.
“If we don’t (get reimbursement), every town that was affected by those storms will have some difficulty paying the remediation. It will be a hardship, clearly, for the towns, perhaps more than the county. It would be a serious matter for a number of towns,” Baer said.
Many towns are still submitting damage from the December ice storm, including Hillsdale. “We haven’t gotten full reimbursement from the ice storm damage,” Baer said. “Immediately being thrust into having to pay more money out for the flooding storms...it’s one thing on top of another. There’s no break in between.”
In Kinderhook, the town board recently voted to borrow against expected FEMA funds, not to exceed $300,000. If the FEMA reimbursements are not appealed for Columbia County, it’s unclear what situation Kinderhook could have on its hands regarding the loan.
Adding to this, September is the month when towns begin the preliminary budget process, and the added weight of whether or not to budget for FEMA reimbursements is a challenge.
“We are not going to budget the fact that we’re not going to receive the reimbursement,” said Baer about the Hillsdale town budget. “We’re going to assume that we will not have to pay for that out of next year’s budget. I’m not going to go to the taxpayers at this point and ask them to pay for it.”
To reach reporter Francesca Olsen call 518-828-1616, ext. 2272, or e-mail folsen@registerstar.com.
Share this Article
 |
 |
|
| Search continues for missing woman | Committee OKs nursing home recommendation |
Article Rating
Reader Comments
The following are comments from the readers. In no way do they represent the view of registerstar.com.
You must register with a valid email to post comments. Only your Member ID will be posted with the comments.
Registered users sign in here: |
Become a Registered User |
