Otsego Towns Rejoin National Flood Insurance Program
Release Date: December 19, 2006
Release Number: 1650-121
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ALBANY, N.Y. -- The towns of Burlington and Decatur in Otsego County have restored their participation in the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP), according to disaster recovery officials today.
“We welcome the towns of Burlington and Decatur back,” said Federal Coordinating Officer Marianne C. Jackson of FEMA. “and we commend the town fathers for this action.”
This action allows the town and its residents, once again, to buy flood insurance. It also empowers FEMA to review applications from the town and its residents for all the disaster assistance programs available under President Bush’s June flooding disaster declaration.
At the time of the declaration, the Town of Burlington and the Town of Decatur were suspended by the NFIP because the towns had not passed a local ordinance to manage development in the flood plain.
Under this situation, the towns would not be eligible for reimbursement for damages to public infrastructure nor would homeowners in these jurisdictions be eligible for repair grants under the FEMA/State Individuals and Homeowners Program (IHP).
Now, if the towns or residents of these towns had made application for disaster assistance FEMA and the state will review applications to ensure that all disaster assistance programs for which the towns or residents may be eligible, but were held in abeyance because of the suspension, are provided.
State Coordinating Officer John R. Gibb, Director of the New York State Emergency Management Office (SEMO), said “The New York State Department of Environment and Conservation (DEC) worked with FEMA’s NFIP personnel to enable Decatur and Burlington to rejoin the program.
“This truly was a tremendous partnership of state, federal and local officials working to maximize the help that those affected by the June flooding could receive,” Gibb said.
For more information on the NFIP and flood insurance, visited www.floodsmart.gov
FEMA manages federal response and recovery efforts following any national incident, initiates mitigation activities and manages the National Flood Insurance Program. FEMA works closely with state and local emergency managers, law enforcement personnel, firefighters and other first responders. FEMA became part of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security on March 1, 2003
Last Modified: Tuesday, 19-Dec-2006 11:44:02