July 30th, 2024
By News Report
Republican Congressional Delegation led by Congressman Brandon Williams (R-NY) to the Biden-Harris Administration requesting a Presidential Emergency Declaration for the State of New York due to the devastating tornadoes, winds, and localized heavy rainfall that swept through New York State on July 15 and July 16.
“My office has worked diligently to provide our Upstate New York and North Country communities with resources as we work to recover from the devastating storms that swept our district this month. I am now calling on the Biden-Harris Administration to issue a Presidential Emergency Declaration for the State of New York and unleash additional resources to help our NY-21 communities persevere through this tragedy and rebuild our communities,” Congresswoman Elise Stefanik said July 30.
“It is more important now than ever that we come together, across levels of government, to respond to the disaster that has struck our community. A Presidential Emergency Declaration would greatly aid ongoing efforts to provide relief to constituents who have been impacted, and I join my colleagues in supporting the Governor’s request,” said Congressman Brandon Williams.
In the letter, the lawmakers state, “We represent the counties that are included in the Declaration request, which includes Chemung, Genesee, Hamilton, Herkimer, Jefferson, Lewis, Madison, Montgomery, Oswego, Oneida, Ontario, Saratoga, Schuyler, Stueben, and Warren Counties. Over 10 tornados, five microbursts, and many severe thunderstorms which impacted New York State started on July 15, killing at least one person, with more than 400,000 power outages due to downed trees and power lines. On July 16, an EF-2 tornado touched down in the downtown area of the City of Rome, resulting in building collapses, significant infrastructure damage, and more than 28,000 customers without power in Oneida County.”
The lawmakers continue, “Included in the Governor’s request is financial assistance for eligible Category A and B expenses under FEMA’s Public Assistance program for activities such as debris removal, sheltering, evacuations, search and rescue, and other eligible activities. Additionally, a certification that State and local government obligations and expenditures for this disaster request will comply with all cost sharing requirements in the Stafford Act, and a request to waive the $5,000,000 limitation on assistance imposed by the Stafford Act, is included.”
Read the article in Sun Community News here.
