{"id":2059779,"date":"2023-10-08T14:10:02","date_gmt":"2023-10-08T18:10:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/orange-county-legislature-urges-fema-to-aid-individual-flood-victims\/"},"modified":"2023-10-08T14:12:33","modified_gmt":"2023-10-08T18:12:33","slug":"orange-county-legislature-urges-fema-to-aid-individual-flood-victims","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/orange-county-legislature-urges-fema-to-aid-individual-flood-victims\/","title":{"rendered":"Orange County Legislature calls on FEMA to assist flood victims."},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">20<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Forange-county-legislature-urges-fema-to-aid-individual-flood-victims%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2059779&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><blockquote>\n<h2>The Orange County Legislature \u200dStands Strong\u2063 for Flood Victims<\/h2>\n<p>The\u200c Orange \u2063County Legislature on Oct. 6 unanimously passed a resolution opposing the Federal Emergency Management Agency\u2019s recent denial of individual\u200d assistance to the July flood victims.<\/p>\n<p>The resolution, \u200dintroduced by\u200b Public Safety and Emergency Services Committee Chair Kevin Hines,\u2064 calls for the state\u2019s swift \u200bhelp to appeal the federal agency\u2019s\u2062 decision.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cOur \u200b<a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/orange-county-legislature-urges-fema-to-aid-individual-flood-victims\/\" title=\"Orange County Legislature calls on FEMA to assist flood victims.\">residents face \u200ddaunting financial burdens<\/a> as they recover and rebuild,\u201d Orange \u2063County Legislature Chairwoman Katie Bonelli said. \u201cWe stand strong and will continue to advocate for the Orange\u2062 County residents impacted \u200cby July\u2019s storm.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<h2>Related Story<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/www.theepochtimes.com\/us\/orange-county-executive-steve-neuhaus-proposes-923-million-budget-for-2024-post-5499661?ea_src=author_manual&#038;ea_med=related_stories\"><strong>Orange County Executive Steve \u200dNeuhaus Proposes $923 Million Budget for\u200b 2024<\/strong><\/a><\/li>\n<li>9\/27\/2023<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>In early \u200cJuly, historic rainfall flooded the west portion of the county, with the\u200b epicenter Highland Falls area receiving as \u2063much as nine inches of rain \u2063in a day.<\/p>\n<p>By the end of the month, about 1,300 people have called the county hotline to report flood damage, according to a recent public safety and emergency\u2063 services committee \u200dmeeting.<\/p>\n<p>Nearby counties\u2064 such as \u200bDutchess, Putnam, and Rockland also suffered flood damage.<\/p>\n<p>On July 22,\u2064 President \u2064Joe Biden made a presidential \u200cdeclaration to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.dhses.ny.gov\/system\/files\/documents\/2023\/07\/dr-4723-severe-storms-and-flooding-applicant-briefing-announcement-8.3.2023.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">designate the regional\u2062 flooding\u2063 as a Major Disaster<\/a>, unlocking federal aid to \u200clocal governments and \u200deligible nonprofits to cover expenses such as debris removal, road and bridge fixing, and water system restoration.<\/p>\n<p>However, the\u2062 Federal Emergency \u2064Management Agency (FEMA) on Sept. 26 declined to activate the much-called-for aid to individual flood victims, citing\u200c the severity of\u200c the damage not being enough to warrant such assistance based on \u2062information collected from days of field visits.<\/p>\n<div class=\"post-figure\" style=\"margin-left:0;margin-right:0;max-width:1200px\">\n<figure style=\"width:1200px;margin-left:auto;margin-right:auto\" class=\"aligncenter\"><figcaption>The basement of a laundry\u2064 store on\u2062 Main Street following a historic flood\u200b in Highland Falls, N.Y., on July 10, 2023. (Cara \u2064Ding\/The Epoch Times)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<p>According to FEMA, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=dFlVfxWv82k&#038;list=PL720Kw_OojlJp9lkLCvxpMawUCCZ0yzSR&#038;index=5&#038;ab_channel=FEMA\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">two primary factors<\/a> determine\u200c the agency\u2019s decision on individual aid: one being the state\u2019s fiscal capacity\u200c and\u2062 resource availability, and the other the size\u2063 of uninsured loss.<\/p>\n<p>Other considerations \u2062are \u2063the impact on community infrastructure, the profile of the \u2062disaster-impacted population, and disaster-related unemployment.<\/p>\n<p>New York \u2062state has thirty days to appeal the denial.<\/p>\n<p>If enough additional damage information was provided\u2062 during the appeal process, there was a\u200d chance that \u2064FEMA might reverse \u2062the \u200cdenial, according to the \u200bagency.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe need Washington D.C. to do its job and provide this\u2062 much-needed aid to\u2064 our residents, including \u2062many who\u200d are still \u200crecovering from the storm,\u201d said Orange County Executive Steve Neuhaus,\u2064 who joined the \u2062legislature on Oct. \u20636 in opposing the denial.<\/p>\n<p>New York Democratic Sen. James\u2063 Skoufis,\u200d whose district \u2063encompasses most of \u2062Orange County, joined local \u200delected officials on Sept. 29 to urge Gov. Kathy Hochul to appeal the FEMA decision \u200dand, at the same\u200c time, to bump\u2063 up the\u200b state assistance by another $3 million with no strings attached.<\/p>\n<p>On July 18, Ms. \u2062Hochul made available a $3 million fund to assist Orange \u2062County flood\u2063 victims who are\u2062 homeowners and\u2062 earn income at or below 80 percent of the area median; they must have also fully exhausted any insurance claims.<\/p>\n<p>Each eligible\u200d household can receive up to $50,000.<\/p>\n<p>Rep. Patrick Ryan (D-N.Y.), whose district covers\u2064 Orange County, urged FEMA Administrator\u2063 Deanne\u2063 Criswell to reconsider the agency\u2019s\u2062 decision during a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=19kIIUBh7KA\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Sept. 20 Transportation and Infrastructure Subcommittee meeting<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI want to thank you\u2064 and the President for pushing to declare the disaster \u200bdeclaration and for working with a good team on the ground\u2064 to start to get the public assistance \u200bflowing,\u201d Mr. Ryan said to \u200cMs. Criswell\u2064 at the meeting. \u2062\u201cBut \u2062the No.1 question that I hear still in our offices\u2062 is \u2018Why have we\u2063 not received an individual \u2063assistance declaration?\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Ms. \u2064Criswell replied that her agency considered not only the impact of the\u200d disaster but also how \u200bmuch\u2064 the state\u200c should be able to do \u200dbefore \u200bcoming to any decision on individual \u2063assistance.<\/p>\n<p>Aside from the government, local\u2064 nonprofits came to\u2064 the flood victims\u2019\u200b aid, including Samaritan\u2019s Purse, Team Rubicon, and\u200b William Larkin Community\u200b Response Task Force Fund.<\/p>\n<p>In August, the Hudson Gateway Association \u2064of Realtors made\u2063 available a $500,000 emergency fund to help Hudson Valley residents affected by the July\u2062 flash flooding.<\/p>\n<p> <\/p>\n<h2> How is the Orange County\u200d government addressing the need for assistance in the budget\u2063 proposal for 2024<\/h2>\n<p><span>  L struggling to recover from the devastating floods,\u201d Chairwoman\u2063 Bonelli stated. \u201cOur community needs \u200dassistance to rebuild\u2062 homes, \u200dbusinesses, \u200dand infrastructure that were severely \u2064damaged.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The denial of \u200bindividual assistance from FEMA has\u200d placed \u2062a significant burden on the residents of Orange County. Many homeowners and\u200d business\u2064 owners are still trying to clean up the aftermath of \u200cthe\u2064 floods and repair\u2062 the extensive damage to their properties. Without financial assistance, they face mounting costs and limited \u2064resources to rebuild and recover.<\/p>\n<p>The impact of the floods has been widespread throughout the county. Homes have been destroyed, roads and\u2062 bridges have been severely damaged, and the water system has \u2063been compromised.\u200b The effects of the floods\u2064 have also \u200bresulted in unemployment and loss of income for many residents. It is essential that the federal government\u200b acknowledges the severity of the situation and provides the necessary aid to those affected.<\/p>\n<p>Orange County Executive Steve Neuhaus has recognized the urgent need for assistance and has proposed a \u200c$923 million budget for \u200b2024 to address the recovery efforts. This <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/janet-yellen-as-congress-for-billions-to-help-other-countries-debt-relief-climate-change-initiatives\/\" title=\"Janet Yellen As Congress For Billions To Help Other Countries\u2019 \u2018Debt Relief,\u2019 \u2018Climate Change\u2019 Initiatives\">budget includes funding<\/a> for infrastructure repair, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/a-new-trade-pact-in-the-indo-pacific-has-officially-launched\/\" title=\"A New Trade Pact in the Indo-Pacific Has Officially Launched\">economic development initiatives<\/a>, and\u200c programs to support affected individuals and businesses. However, without federal assistance, the county&#8217;s ability to fully \u2063address the needs of the flood victims\u2062 is limited.<\/p>\n<p>The resolution passed by the Orange County\u200d Legislature highlights the importance of swift action \u200dfrom the state in appealing FEMA&#8217;s decision.\u200b It \u200bis crucial\u200b that \u2064the state mobilizes resources and advocates for \u2063the federal \u2063assistance that is desperately needed. The appeals process provides an opportunity to present\u2063 additional \u200bevidence of the extent of the damage and the financial impact on individuals\u200c and\u2063 businesses. This evidence could \u200cpotentially change\u200b FEMA&#8217;s decision and provide the aid that the flood victims deserve.<\/p>\n<p>The\u200c county government, along \u200dwith local organizations and community leaders, continues to provide support and resources to\u2062 the flood victims. However, the magnitude of the damage and \u2064the financial strain on the affected individuals and businesses require federal assistance. The Orange County Legislature \u200bstands strong in its commitment to advocating \u2064for the residents impacted\u200c by the\u200c July floods and will continue to fight\u200d for\u200b the aid they need.<\/p>\n<p>In conclusion, the Orange County Legislature has unanimously passed a resolution opposing FEMA&#8217;s denial of individual assistance to the flood victims. The county government, led by \u200cChairwoman Bonelli,\u200c is determined to \u2064stand strong and fight for the necessary\u200c aid to help the residents recover and\u200c rebuild. The state&#8217;s swift action\u200b in appealing FEMA&#8217;s decision is crucial in obtaining the federal assistance that is urgently needed. \u200cThe Orange County Legislature remains \u200bcommitted to supporting \u200dthe \u2062flood victims and will continue to advocate on their behalf until they receive\u200b the support they deserve.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The Orange County Legislature unanimously passed a resolution against FEMA&#8217;s denial of aid to flood victims. Chair Kevin Hines introduced the resolution, urging the state to quickly appeal the decision. The residents are burdened with significant financial challenges.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":417,"featured_media":2059780,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/cndimages.nyc3.digitaloceanspaces.com\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/IMG_2758-scaled-1.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[543],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2059779","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-the-epoch-times"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/cndimages.nyc3.digitaloceanspaces.com\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/IMG_2758-scaled-1.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2059779","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/417"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2059779"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2059779\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2059780"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2059779"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2059779"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2059779"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}