A pair of vehicles sit stranded near the intersection of Tiffany Ave. and Allen Streets in Jamestown, following the heavy rain that fell on the area May 21, 2014.
WASHINGTON – New York’s representatives in Washington are calling on President Barack Obama to take swift action on a request for federal aid to help pay for damages caused by last month’s flooding.
In a joint media release, Senator Charles Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand said a total of eleven counties experienced flooding, including Chautauqua County. Congressman Tom Reed also made the request to the president, who is authorized to provide aid through the Federal Emergency Management Agency. The request to comes following Governor Cuomo’s request on Tuesday for a Federal Major Disaster Declaration.
Back-to-back severe storms last month caused significant flooding, forcing residents to evacuate their homes, destroyed personal property, and damaged critical infrastructure such as roads, culverts, and power lines. On May 14, New York State declared a State Disaster Emergency for various counties, and certain municipalities were also declared local states of emergency.
The storm impacted over 150 homes and dozens of businesses. The cost of damage currently totals approximately $28.2 million.
Leave a Reply