Some of the hardest hit areas of New York received the first round of FEMA reimbursements since Superstorm Sandy struck the region over a month and a half ago. The funding totals more than $40 million was delivered by Governor Andrew Cuomo to Nassau County and the City of Long Beach to help remove debris caused by storm damage which has proved to be one of the most difficult and time-consuming challenges following Sandy.
"Today we are delivering the first federal aid to the hardest hit areas of New York State as they continue to recover from the damage, Governor Cuomo, who visited Long Beach on Sunday to allocate the funds, said. "This money will significantly help New Yorkers rebuild communities on Long Island and throughout the impacted areas. With the arrival of more support, New York will continue to move forward and build back stronger than before.”
Long Beach received $24,315,825 million in reimbursement funding for citywide debris removal, while Nassau County received $15,917,989. The funding will be used for contractor costs for construction and demolition, as well as sand, vegetative and tree debris removal, reduction, hauling and disposal.
"Nassau County was hit the hardest by Hurricane Sandy, and our families and communities are nowhere near a full recovery. This FEMA grant will go far in helping us to clean up and remove dangerous debris, so that we can clear our homes, roads and neighborhoods and be ready for rebuilding,” Nassau County Executive Ed Mangano said, thanking Gov. Cuomo and FEMA.
The money will cover 75 percent of the costs of overtime for 270 county workers and the rental of heavy duty wood chippers needed to reduce the volume of tree debris.
The funding comes after a coordinated application process with state and federal officials that developed a claim by documenting what work had been completed and what still needs to be done as part of the recovery process.
Additional funding is expected to offset recovery costs to local agencies.
The governor also announced reimbursement funds totaling more than $114 million for New York University-Langone Medical Center to help cover costs associated with preparations in advance of the storm as well as evacuations, removal of water and emergency repairs.
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