Request federal waiver if necessary of per capita threshold for disaster assistance June 22, 2007 WASHINGTON, D.C. – In anticipation of a request for federal assistance from New York's Governor Spitzer, Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton and Representative Kirsten Gillibrand today called on President Bush to quickly provide the necessary aid and assistance to the areas that have been hit by the recent flash flooding, as soon as it is formally requested by the Governor. In a letter to President Bush, Clinton and Gillibrand asked that as soon as he receives the request for disaster assistance from Governor Spitzer, the White House expedite FEMA's assessment of the storm damage and issue a Presidential Disaster Declaration consistent with the Stafford Act as soon as possible. Clinton and Gillibrand also asked that the President waive the per capita threshold for Public Assistance and provide relief if necessary. In order to be eligible for Public Assistance from FEMA, certain per capita damage assessment impact thresholds must be met. Currently that threshold is $1.22 for the State; $3.05 for the County. At times there are extraordinary concentrations of damages that might warrant Federal assistance even if the statewide per capita is not met. This is particularly true where critical facilities are involved or where localized per capita impacts might be extremely high. Because the damage from these flash floods was very localized, Clinton and Gillibrand made the waiver request in case the threshold is not met. “This is an absolute tragedy for Colchester and it is a severe blow to the region. It could not have come at a worse time, just as people are finally putting their lives back together at the one year anniversary of last year’s devastating floods. The combined impact of last year’s floods, several instances of heavy rain in the past year and now these flash floods has put a huge financial burden on the local authorities and they need help. I hope that if the Governor makes a request for a disaster declaration, the President will recognize just how much these communities are struggling and make the necessary disaster assistance available,” Senator Clinton said. “So many residents' lives have been turned upside down by these constant floodings. The personal and financial heartache that so many are feeling throughout this region is tremendous. Immediate action is needed, and I will be working to cut through the red tape at FEMA and help bring the necessary assistance in the most expedited manner possible,” Congresswoman Gillibrand said. For more information on the FEMA disaster declaration process, go to http://www.fema.gov/hazard/dproc.shtm A copy of Senator Clinton and Representative Gillibrand's letter to President Bush is below - June 22, 2007 The Honorable George W. Bush President of the United States Washington, D.C. 20500 Dear Mr. President: On June 19, a series of thunderstorms dropped 6 to 8 inches of rain in the span of three hours near the border of Sullivan and Delaware Counties with almost no warning. The National Weather Service anticipated severe thunderstorms in the area, however the flash flooding and destruction wrought by the storms has destroyed roads, bridges and homes in the Town of Colchester, in Delaware County. The Town of Colchester received eight inches of rain in less than two hours. This rain impacted two roads in Colchester, County Rt. 7 and town road Holliday Brook. There are miles of the roads washed out. Six miles of the town road have been completely demolished. There has been one death reported already, and authorities suspect there could be more. The storm has left residents stranded and homes destroyed. It has also destroyed critical infrastructure. Currently the Town is working under four disaster declarations: 1565 Hurricane Ivan September, 2004; 1589 April 2, 2005; 1650 June 2006; and 1670 November 2006. In addition to those floods, the town has suffered from 2 additional floods that did not receive a FEMA declaration that the Town is economically responsible for the damage suffered. The Town is extremely overwhelmed financially by these tragic events. Early estimates indicate over $10 million in damages just for the Town of Colchester alone. Delaware County may have sustained nearly $6 million in damages. Colchester is making an early loss projection of over $10 million and an early assessment of property damage just to Delaware County exceeds $5 million. These damage assessments only pertain to county roads, bridges and other infrastructure that was damaged or destroyed. We understand that at the request of Governor Eliot Spitzer of New York, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) will be participating in joint State/FEMA Preliminary Damage Assessments for both Individual Assistance and Public Assistance, along with locals and the SBA, in the affected areas. The damage that the thunderstorms have brought to Delaware County and specifically the Town of Colchester is nothing short of devastating. The extraordinary nature of this occurrence and the concentrated destruction on the Town of Colchester requires a federal and state response as quickly as possible. The Town of Colchester should not be penalized for being the only area that has sustained large amounts of damage. Given the extraordinary concentrations of damages sustained by the Town, Federal assistance should be provided even if the statewide per capita or county-wide per capita damages are not met. Therefore, we urge you to waive the per capita threshold for disaster assistance and provide relief as soon as possible. Assistance is needed in the form of debris removal, infrastructure repair, small business loans, home repair, and other disaster related aid available from FEMA. In anticipation of a request from Governor Spitzer, we urge you to issue a Major Disaster Declaration consistent with the Stafford Act as soon as possible so we can provide the assistance that so many people desperately need. We thank you for your immediate consideration. Please do not hesitate to contact us should we be able to provide additional information. Sincerely, Hillary Rodham Clinton Kirsten Gillibrand # # # |