The Peru Gazette

From the office of Congresswoman Elise Stefanik

Washington, D.C. – President Trump has officially declared a major disaster declaration for the state of New York, which will release federal funds to help communities in the North Country recover from the severe Halloween storm that caused massive damages from high winds and flooding. Included are the counties in NY-21 that are eligible to receive federal assistance through FEMA’s Public Assistance program: Essex, Fulton, Hamilton, Herkimer, Jefferson, Lewis, Saratoga, and Warren. Additionally, all areas of the state are eligible for assistance under the Hazard Mitigation Grant program.

“I am grateful to President Trump for responding quickly to my push for a major disaster declaration for the North Country following the devastating Halloween storm,” said Congresswoman Stefanik. “I worked with state and local officials to initiate a Joint Preliminary Damage Assessment in order to access FEMA funds to rebuild our communities, and sent a letter to President Trump asking that he take our request seriously. It is an honor to have delivered this result for the North Country, and I’m looking forward to continuing my work with local officials to ensure we have everything we need to rebuild.”

FEMA Public Assistance
Public Assistance (PA) is FEMA’s largest grant program providing emergency assistance to save lives and protect property, and assists with permanently restoring community infrastructure affected by a federally declared incident. Eligible applicants include states, federally recognized tribal governments, U.S. territories, local governments, and certain private non-profit (PNP) organizations. Applicants should work with the State to apply for the assistance available and must file a Request for Public Assistance within 30 days of the date their respective area is designated by the federal declaration.

Work eligible for PA grant funding must be required as a result of the declared incident and is classified as emergency work or permanent work depending on the scope of the project. Federal funding guidelines for each of these categories are listed in the Public Assistance Program and Policy Guide, which is located online at https://www.fema.gov/media-library/assets/documents/111781.

FEMA Hazard Mitigation Assistance
FEMA’s Hazard Mitigation Assistance (HMA) programs provide funds for projects that reduce the risk to individuals and property from natural hazards. These programs enable mitigation measures to be implemented before, during, and after disaster recovery. The States, territories, and federally-recognized tribes establish their mitigation priorities, facilitate the development of applications, and submit applications to FEMA based on State, territorial, or federally-recognized tribal criteria and available funding. Individuals, property and business owners may not apply directly to the State, territory, or FEMA, but eligible local governments may apply on their behalf. Property and business owners interested in implementing mitigation activities are encouraged to contact their local community planning, emergency management, or hazard mitigation office for more information.