Disaster Assistance Deadlines Are Extended Until October 2 

Release Date: August 24, 2006
Release Number: 1650-064

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State and federal officials announced today that the deadlines have been extended to register for assistance to help aid recovery from uninsured or under-insured losses stemming from the late-June flooding. Registrations for the New York State Individual and Family Grant Program and federal aid, as well as programs administered by Empire State Development Corporation will now be accepted until Monday, October 2.

"We've seen a steady stream of applications continue to come in," said Marianne C. Jackson, Federal Coordinating Officer for the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). "The decision to extend the federal deadline was made to ensure that all those affected by this disaster have had every opportunity to apply for assistance."

John R. Gibb, Director of the New York State Emergency Management Office said, "If anyone incurred any type of damage from the severe storms and flooding that occurred in late June, it's important that they apply for assistance as soon as possible. They need to make two calls for assistance – one for the State program and another for the federal programs."

The registration period and the deadline apply to the major federal disaster declaration on July 1 that enabled residents and business owners in Broome, Chenango, Delaware, Herkimer, Montgomery, Oneida, Orange, Otsego, Schoharie, Sullivan, Tioga and Ulster counties to register for State and federal recovery aid.

Three Disaster Assistance Service Centers will be closing on Friday, August 25 at 6 p.m. The centers closing are in Fort Plain ( Montgomery County ), Walton ( Delaware County ) and Endwell ( Broome County ).

Disaster Assistance Service Centers at the Sidney Civic Center , 21 Liberty Street in Sidney ( Delaware County ) and the Susquehanna Valley High School , 1040 Conklin Road in Conklin ( Broome County ) will remain open to assist flood victims. Hours of operations for the two centers are Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. State and federal personnel at these centers will be on hand to answer program questions, assist individuals in determining the status of their applications, and help resolve application issues.

To date, FEMA has received 12,558 applications for assistance and more than $92 million in aid has been approved.

New York State reports that, to date, $8 million has been paid out to 1,970 victims who have applied for the State's Individual and Family Grant program.

Officials reiterated that often victims fail to register because they have home insurance and assume they are not eligible, only to later learn that assistance may have been available but the registration period has already closed.

Applicants may qualify for help under a wide range of federal and state programs such as temporary housing assistance, a low-interest disaster loan from the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA), or assistance for disaster-related needs not covered by insurance.

FEMA manages federal response and recovery efforts following any national incident. FEMA also initiates mitigation activities, works with state and local emergency managers, and manages the National Flood Insurance Program. FEMA became part of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security on March 1, 2003.

Last Modified: Friday, 25-Aug-2006 06:54:13