Untold damage: Chenango still assessing losses
NORWICH – Despite a reported estimate of $3.2 million in flood-related infrastructure damages to Chenango County, local officials say they aren’t even close to calculating the actual damages.
Public works crews were working around the clock repairing driveways, roads and bridges since last week’s record flood waters cost lives and saturated - and in some cases carried away - homes, bridges, roads and businesses.
“Randy’s people have been out every day trying to evaluate the damage, and there are places he can’t even get to yet,” Richard B. Decker, chairman of the board of supervisors, said Monday, referring to county Public Works Director Randy Gibbon.
Gibbon said late last week that he was unable to make an educated guess about how expensive the recovery will be locally because “we’ve never had anything like this to compare this to.” Public works crews had yet to see damages below the Town of Afton because of floods on county Route 26 and 7. State transportation regional engineer Tom Wiser said state DOT officials would start assisting locals with loss assessments this week.
Gibbon reminded individuals to document any kind of damages with photos and measurements prior to trying to fix them.
Washington declared eight counties in upstate New York, including Chenango County, federal disaster areas over the weekend, making money available to local governments to help pay for infrastructure repair and debris removal. Federal funding is also available on a cost-sharing basis - and available from certain private nonprofit organizations - for debris removal and emergency protective measures, including direct federal assistance.
Federal funding for individual losses was made available late Monday.
The county’s capability of paying its share of the recovery cost is a concern to officials because this year’s high fuel prices have already put substantial pressures on the budget. “I’m concerned that we don’t have any idea what it will cost yet,” Decker said. “My guess is that we’ll know something towards the end of the week.”
Governor Pataki made $35 million in state emergency funding available to local governments, families and businesses in the flood-ravaged areas just two days after the torrential rains. His request for federal disaster recognition for 13 counties went to only eight, however. A host of federal and state officials are currently blasting FEMA for not expediting assessments in all affected areas.
“We need to see money rolling into these communities and businesses in upstate New York,” Schumer said in a press release Monday afternoon. “There is no reason why these communities shouldn’t be seeing an influx of money now.”
Town of Bainbridge Supervisor Rick E. Chase said it would “surprise me greatly” if FEMA didn’t come through with the appropriate funding. Twenty-five families were still displaced from their homes there and town workers were busy trying to repair a broken water main.
The state emergency disaster designation enables individuals, families and small businesses to receive grants of up to $5,000 for documented flood losses not covered by insurance or other government programs. The funds are to be disseminated via the Department of Labor. Chenango’s regional labor office did not return a phone call by deadline.
Last year’s record-breaking national hurricane season clean-up effort shouldn’t affect the amount of federal disaster funding available to flood damaged regions this year. “It’s not an issue,” Aaron Walker, national spokesman for FEMA, said Friday.
Sam Marchio, a spokesperson for New York Congressman Sherwood L. Boehlert, said Congress appropriates emergency supplemental money every year. “Last year was last year. This year is this year. It’s a new pool of money.”
A key component of the state aid package is directed to individuals, families and small businesses with grants of up to $5,000 for documented flood losses not covered by insurance or other government programs. This assistance program, to be administered by the State Department of Labor, will use funding appropriated in the enacted 2006-07 State Budget to ensure the assistance is available in a timely manner.
Public works crews were working around the clock repairing driveways, roads and bridges since last week’s record flood waters cost lives and saturated - and in some cases carried away - homes, bridges, roads and businesses.
“Randy’s people have been out every day trying to evaluate the damage, and there are places he can’t even get to yet,” Richard B. Decker, chairman of the board of supervisors, said Monday, referring to county Public Works Director Randy Gibbon.
Gibbon said late last week that he was unable to make an educated guess about how expensive the recovery will be locally because “we’ve never had anything like this to compare this to.” Public works crews had yet to see damages below the Town of Afton because of floods on county Route 26 and 7. State transportation regional engineer Tom Wiser said state DOT officials would start assisting locals with loss assessments this week.
Gibbon reminded individuals to document any kind of damages with photos and measurements prior to trying to fix them.
Washington declared eight counties in upstate New York, including Chenango County, federal disaster areas over the weekend, making money available to local governments to help pay for infrastructure repair and debris removal. Federal funding is also available on a cost-sharing basis - and available from certain private nonprofit organizations - for debris removal and emergency protective measures, including direct federal assistance.
Federal funding for individual losses was made available late Monday.
The county’s capability of paying its share of the recovery cost is a concern to officials because this year’s high fuel prices have already put substantial pressures on the budget. “I’m concerned that we don’t have any idea what it will cost yet,” Decker said. “My guess is that we’ll know something towards the end of the week.”
Governor Pataki made $35 million in state emergency funding available to local governments, families and businesses in the flood-ravaged areas just two days after the torrential rains. His request for federal disaster recognition for 13 counties went to only eight, however. A host of federal and state officials are currently blasting FEMA for not expediting assessments in all affected areas.
“We need to see money rolling into these communities and businesses in upstate New York,” Schumer said in a press release Monday afternoon. “There is no reason why these communities shouldn’t be seeing an influx of money now.”
Town of Bainbridge Supervisor Rick E. Chase said it would “surprise me greatly” if FEMA didn’t come through with the appropriate funding. Twenty-five families were still displaced from their homes there and town workers were busy trying to repair a broken water main.
The state emergency disaster designation enables individuals, families and small businesses to receive grants of up to $5,000 for documented flood losses not covered by insurance or other government programs. The funds are to be disseminated via the Department of Labor. Chenango’s regional labor office did not return a phone call by deadline.
Last year’s record-breaking national hurricane season clean-up effort shouldn’t affect the amount of federal disaster funding available to flood damaged regions this year. “It’s not an issue,” Aaron Walker, national spokesman for FEMA, said Friday.
Sam Marchio, a spokesperson for New York Congressman Sherwood L. Boehlert, said Congress appropriates emergency supplemental money every year. “Last year was last year. This year is this year. It’s a new pool of money.”
A key component of the state aid package is directed to individuals, families and small businesses with grants of up to $5,000 for documented flood losses not covered by insurance or other government programs. This assistance program, to be administered by the State Department of Labor, will use funding appropriated in the enacted 2006-07 State Budget to ensure the assistance is available in a timely manner.
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