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The governor of New York, Kathy Hochul, signed this Sunday a request for the federal government to declare as a “major disaster” the impact caused by the aftermath of Hurricane Ida, which left the state with at least 17 deaths and significant damage.
The request seeks that Washington provide funds to support those affected and to repair infrastructure and public buildings, among other things.
“New Yorkers are still recovering from the damage in downstate communities and this request that I have signed and forwarded to President (Joe) Biden can secure the financial resources that are due to New Yorkers who suffered unimaginable devastation as a result of the storm,” Hochul said at a press conference.
Biden has already offered federal assistance, and the declaration of a “major disaster” would open the door for the government to help families whose homes have been affected by Hurricane Ida, including those who did not have flood insurance.
According to the governor, initial analyses have already identified damage to at least 1,200 homes worth more than $50 million.
The president plans to visit New York and neighboring New Jersey next Tuesday to see firsthand the devastation caused by Ida, which struck the area last Wednesday after earlier causing significant damage in the southeast.
New Jersey was the worst-hit state by Hurricane Ida, with 25 confirmed fatalities, while in New York there were at least 17 fatalities, many of them people drowned in illegal basement apartments, mainly in the borough of Queens.
Hochul also announced today that he will direct $378 million in funds previously provided by the federal government to improve infrastructure protection from weather-related disasters.
