Hurricane Recovery

Dear Neighbor,

For the last month and a half, our communities in the 19th Congressional District have begun to recover from Hurricane Irene and Tropical Storm Lee.  My priority is to see that the Hudson Valley has all the federal resources we can access to rebuild after the storms.  I successfully requested that President Obama grant maximal disaster assistance, for both individuals and our local governments, to our counties.  And recently, with my support, Congress approved $2.65 billion to fund FEMA, which fully takes care of current needs, according to the agency.  I continue to work with FEMA and with the Small Business Administration and the United States Department of Agriculture to help our communities have the greatest available assistance for housing, financial, and other needs that have been caused by Hurricane Irene and Tropical Storm Lee.  Please be assured that I will also work to assure that FEMA has all the funding necessary to do its job.

As of today, all residents within the 19th District are eligible to apply for Individual Assistance to assist in recovery from damage caused by Hurricane Irene.  In Orange County, residents will also be able to apply for Individual Assistance for damage caused by Tropical Storm Lee.

Federal disaster assistance is available for homeowners, renters and small businesses in Westchester, Rockland, Putnam, Orange and Dutchess counties to provide the necessary financial and technical resources to recover from damages caused by Hurricane Irene. Please find below useful contact information for federal services that are available to you as the Hudson Valley recovers from the storm. We have also compiled a Guide to Federal Assistance to provide you with an overview of some of the issues that you may face and the resources that may be available to you as a result of disaster damage that has occurred.

To assure that we are doing all we can to help our communities not only today but for the future, I am a co-chair of the Hurricane Irene Coalition, which was founded by my colleague, Representative Peter Welch of Vermont.  Our goal is to facilitate prompt provision of all relevant federal aid for immediate recovery, and to assure for the long term that our local, state, and federal agencies work together to mitigate or prevent the severe damage we experienced from Irene and Lee when the next bad storm hits.

Our 19th District team is here to help you to secure federal help after the storms, depending upon your needs.  Homeowners have 60 days after each storm to apply for FEMA assistance.  This can include both grants, which do not have to be repaid, and low-interest loans. Our staff is happy to answer questions and provide guidance in applying for FEMA, SBA and USDA disaster assistance programs.  Enclosed with this letter you’ll find information on what assistance these different agencies provide, and how to apply.  If you have any questions, or if you are experiencing difficulties with applying, please call us at 845-206-4600.  We have offices in Fishkill, Goshen, and Somers.  You can also visit our website at www.hayworth.house.gov.

Sincerely,
Rep. Nan Hayworth, M.D.

Please note:

• The deadline to apply for SBA disaster assistance loans for Hurricane Irene is Oct. 31. The SBA application deadline for Tropical Storm Lee is Nov. 14.
• The deadline to register with the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) for possible federal disaster assistance is October 14, 2011. Registrations cannot be accepted after the October 31, 2011 deadline.

Recovery Services Contact Information

Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA)
Disaster assistance for individuals, families and businesses in an area whose property has been damaged or destroyed.
www.fema.gov/assistance
800-621-FEMA (800-621-3362)

Disaster Assistance
Provides a compilation of resources from 17 federal agencies to reduce the application process for disaster assistance.
www.disasterassistance.gov
FEMA Disaster Help Desk: 800-621-FEMA (800-621-3362)
Apply via mobile phone: m.fema.gov

American Red Cross
Provides two types of assistance after a disaster – hard and soft. Hard assistance provides material items and may include feeding, shelter, clean-up kits, comfort kits and financial assistance. Soft assistance minimizes immediate disaster-caused suffering through listening, guidance, advocacy, and counseling.
www.redcross.org
800-RED-CROSS (800-733-2767)

Individual and Household Programs (IHP)
Individual assistance can be provided to eligible individuals and households who are uninsured, or under-insured, and suffered losses due to disaster damage.  By law, the amount of individual assistance a person or household can receive is capped and may not cover losses to the extent that a flood insurance policy would.  IHP is not intended to restore damaged property to the condition it was in prior to the disaster; IHP home repair may only provide enough money, up to the limits, to return a house or item to service.  IHP is not intended to cover businesses; they must seek loans from the Small Business Administration (SBA) prior to seeking IHP assistance.  With each case, the disaster victim must register for assistance to establish eligibility.  FEMA (or the providing agency) will verify eligibility and need before assistance is offered.
For more information about the above programs, please call 1-800-621-FEMA (1-800-621-3362) or visit www.DisasterAssistance.gov

Temporary Housing, Rental and Mortgage Assistance
FEMA’s Temporary Housing Assistance and Rental Assistance programs ensure that people whose homes are damaged by disaster have a safe place to live until repairs can be completed.  These programs are designed to provide funds for expenses that are not covered by insurance and are available only to homeowners and renters who are legal residents of the United States and who were displaced by the disaster.  Also available is Mortgage and Rental Assistance (MRA), which provides a check to pay the rent or mortgage to prevent eviction or foreclosure.
For more information about the above programs, please call 1-800-621-FEMA (1-800-621-3362) or visit www.DisasterAssistance.gov

U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD)
Offers a variety of home loan programs for disaster victims including special loan servicing and underwriting requirements.
www.hud.gov
800-CALL-FHA (800-225-5342)

Individual and Family Grants
The Individual and Family Grant Program (IFG) provides funds for the necessary expenses and serious needs of disaster victims that cannot be met through insurance or other forms of disaster assistance (including low interest loans from the Small Business Administration).  Applicants will be tested for a loan first.  To obtain assistance for housing and personal property,applicants may be required to apply to the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) for a disaster loan.  If the SBA determines the applicant ineligible for a loan, or if the loan amount is insufficient, the applicant is referred to the IFG program.  Among the needs that can be met through the IFG Program are housing, personal property, medical, dental, funeral, transportation and required flood insurance premiums.
For more information about the above programs, please call 1-800-621-FEMA (1-800-621-3362) or visit www.DisasterAssistance.gov

Public Assistance – Reimbursement to Municipalities & Private Nonprofits
FEMA Public Assistance funds the repair, restoration, reconstruction, or replacement of a public facility or portion of the infrastructure that is damaged or destroyed by a disaster.  Certain private nonprofit (PNP) organizations may also receive assistance.  Eligible private nonprofits include educational, utility, emergency, medical, rehabilitation, and temporary or permanent custodial care facilities (including those for the aged and disabled), and other private nonprofit facilities that provide essential services of a governmental nature to the general public.

Projects fall into the following categories: Debris Removal, Emergency Protective Measures, Road Systems and Bridges, Water Control Facilities, Public Buildings and Contents, Public Utilities, and Parks and Recreation.

For insurable structures within Special Flood Hazard Areas, primarily buildings, assistance from FEMA is reduced by the amount of insurance settlement that could have been obtained under a standard National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) policy.

FEMA reviews and approves the project applications and obligates the federal share of the costs (75 percent) to the state. The state then disburses funds to local applicants.  For small projects, payment of the federal share of the estimate is made upon approval of the project and no further accounting to FEMA is required.  For large projects, payment is made on the basis of actual costs determined after the project is completed, although interim payments may be made as necessary.
For more information about the above programs, please call: 1-609-963-6900

U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA)
Offers low-interest disaster loans for businesses to repair or replace destroyed or damaged businesses, inventory or equipment.
Apply online: www.sba.gov
Disaster Loans: 800-659-2955

U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA)
Emergency loans may be available to farmers for actual losses to essential property and/or production capacity, debris removal, repairs, and fencing.
www.usda.gov
202-720-3467

Internal Revenue Service (IRS)
Special tax relief may be available to individuals and businesses located in a declared disaster area.
www.irs.gov
IRS disaster hotline: 866-562-5227

NY State Emergency Management Office
Assists local governments, voluntary organizations, and private industry through a variety of emergency management programs including disaster recovery assistance.
www.dhses.ny.gov/oem
518-292-2200

Dutchess County - Department of Emergency Response
www.co.dutchess.ny.us
845-471-1414

Orange County - Department of Emergency Services
845-615-0400

Rockland County - Office of Fire and Emergency Services
www.co.rockland.ny.us
845-364-8600

Westchester County - Office of Emergency Management
www.emergencyservices.westchestergov.com
914-231-1900

Putnam County - Department of Emergency Services
www.pcbes.org
845-225-4300