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Municipal governments in Putnam County will now be able to receive relief funds from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) after President Joe Biden approved a request from New York Gov. Kathy Hochul for a Major Disaster Declaration, Putnam officials announced on Monday, July 24.
Hochul's request came after Putnam County Executive Kevin Byrne and various town supervisors and village mayors requested assistance in response to significant flooding from a storm system that arrived on Sunday, July 9.
The storm system left many county roads, bridges, and culverts severely damaged, prompting Byrne to meet with New York Senator Kirsten Gillibrand and White House Infrastructure Coordinator Mitch Landrieu to go over recovery efforts and advocate for help.
The damage also prompted Byrne to declare a state of emergency on Monday, July 10.
FEMA representatives have already conducted a preliminary damage assessment in the county.
Byrne said that Biden's declaration would "enable FEMA to offer critical financial disaster relief funding to various municipal governments suffering from storm damage."
Byrne also thanked Hochul and the Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Services for their role in securing eligibility for the county.
"Every representative from Putnam's state and federal delegation took time to reach out and offer support in the aftermath of the storms, and we thank them all, but we also recognize we still have a long way to go before all repairs and mitigation efforts are completed," Byrne continued.
He added, "Many homeowners are still hurting from storm damage. We will continue to work with our partners at the state and federal government to give them what they need to bolster their efforts to bring back additional relief."
Eligibility for assistance to Putnam residents is still being evaluated by both the state and federal government, officials said, adding that residents should document damage and work with their insurance companies.
Additionally, the county's Bureau of Emergency Services has confirmed that New York State officials are compiling data from individuals and small businesses to make the state’s request for individual assistance stronger.
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