CHENANGO COUNTY – Last week, Chenango County was added to the growing list of New York counties to receive a disaster declaration from the federal government following the severe August storms which caused widespread damage across the state and more than $600,000 worth of damage locally.

As a result of the declaration, county and local municipalities will now have the opportunity to apply for disaster assistance funding through the Federal Emergency Management Agency and the State Emergency Management Office. The process will begin on Thursday when representatives from both agencies will hold an applicant briefing.

County Emergency Management Officer Matt Beckwith said he has reached out to each local municipality to make sure they are aware of the meeting, which will take place at the Chenango County Public Safety Building.

According to Beckwith, the meeting will provide an overview of the relief program and include discussions of eligibility requirements, details on the application process, claim preparation, documentation, funding and payments.

“A lot of them are familiar (with the process),” said City of Norwich Emergency Management Officer A. Wesley Jones, as many local agencies went through the process just three years ago. That doesn’t mean they should skip out on the Thursday meeting, however, Jones said, since there have been some changes to the rules and requirements.