FEMA grants funds for Halloween floods

Eighteen upstate counties affected by the Oct. 31 flooding are eligible for grants and other funding from the Federal Emergency Management Agency, according to an agency spokesperson.

Counties such as Oneida, Herkimer and Madison will be eligible for the Public Assistance and Hazard Mitigation grant programs, the spokesperson said.

The Public Assistance grant will help fund at least 75-percent of the costs of cleanup, protective measures or repairs to local infrastructure or public facilities; while the Hazard Mitigation grant will help fund at least 75-percent of projects that would protect communities from risk of future natural disasters, according to FEMA.

Counties as well as nonprofits will work with the state and federal government to submit an application as well as the necessary paperwork to receive the grants.

A grant program available to individual homeowners has not yet been approved, the spokesperson said.

Gov. Andrew Cuomo today announced a major disaster declaration for the 18 counties affected by the floods. The governor's office said that, with this declaration, FEMA validated state and local government estimates of over $33 million in response costs and infrastructure damage.

The Oct. 31 storms produced heavy rainfall, flash flooding, and strong winds; flooding reached record levels on the West Canada Creek at the Hinckley Dam and Kast Bridge; the Sacandaga River in Hamilton County; and Mohawk River at Little Falls, according to the governor's office. Some residents in the Mohawk Valley such as the village of Frankfort and the hamlet of Chadwicks were evacuated.

Representatives in Congress say they had been pushing for the federal government to grant access to funding for the affected counties.

U.S. Rep. Anthony Brindisi's office said earlier this month he met with Vice President Mike Pence to urge the White House to act, and also called on Cuomo with other lawmakers to submit a disaster declaration.

According to their offices, U.S. Senate Minority Leader Charles E. Schumer and U.S. Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand wrote to FEMA Administrator Peter Gaynor on Nov. 18 asking to complete assessments and approve the request for a disaster declaration. They also signed a letter on Dec. 3 calling on President Donald Trump to approve the disaster declaration.

"As communities across Upstate New York continue their recovery from this unexpected and deadly storm, we urge FEMA to expeditiously complete New York State's PDAs in the 18 counties listed above," the letter to Gaynor said.

A FEMA spokesperson said an exact timeline could not given to how long it would be until funding would be given to municipalities, but the process will include two month-long periods for municipalities and nonprofits to submit an application and then needed paperwork.

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