The state is appealing the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s decision to deny individual aid to Orange and Ontario county residents who need relief from this summer’s historic flooding.
FEMA formally declined last month to give a designation that would allow residents access to its Individual Assistance program. In the agency’s letter to Gov. Kathy Hochul, a FEMA associate administrator wrote that preliminary damage assessments conducted in Orange and Ontario counties from July 20 to Aug. 22 indicated that “the impact to the individuals and households from this event was not of such severity and magnitude” to warrant the designation.
The state had 30 days to appeal the decision, and the letter noted that FEMA would coordinate with New York to identify additional information to support an appeal, if necessary. The last day of the deadline was Thursday. Hochul announced Thursday evening an appeal had been submitted.
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