STORM UPDATE 7/20 - UPLOAD YOUR STORM DAMAGE DATA
Posted on: July 20, 2023 - 10:27am
New York State has developed this online form (https://survey123.arcgis.com/share/74bf2f21895346d691156eadd2690ccf) allowing residents to self-report damages to their homes and/or businesses. The purpose of this form is solely to collect information that may help State and local officials identify supplemental damages to develop and augment potential requests for available federal assistance programs.
The Deadline to submit data is Tomorrow (Friday July 21)
Here is the process:
DISASTER OCCURS 7/9/2023
Local response
Local State of Emergency Declared
County conducts an initial damage assessment and reports damages to the County’s Emergency Management and then to DHSES OEM
Request for State Assistance (through the County)
State Response
Governor declares State Disaster Emergency
Governor may request Federal Emergency Declaration (done on July 14, 2023)
DHSES must validate all damages and provide documentation before FEMA commits to a
Preliminary Damage Assessment
Preliminary Damage Assessment conducted with FEMA
Governor requests Major Disaster Declaration (if there is enough damage done July 14, 2023)
FEMA examines Damage and Disaster Declaration request
President approves (or denies) Major Disaster Declaration
If denied, the State can appeal
FEDERAL RECOVERY PROGRAMS (if approved)
Note: there are separate criteria necessary to obtain Public and Individual Assistance
Putnam County has not issued any guidance on how they are conducting initial damage assessments to individuals. We will provide an update once more information is provided.
Disaster Declaration has not been made - As of July 14, 2023, Governor Hochul has requested a Major Disaster Declaration from President Biden to secure federal assistance for communities impacted by devastating flooding. IF GRANTED, this declaration would release critical federal financial assistance supporting recovery and reconstruction efforts in PUTNAM COUNTY. New York will also engage with the U.S. Small Business Administration to pursue low-interest recovery loans for impacted private businesses in the coming weeks. See here: SBA - Physical Damage Loans
It is critical to understand that not every disaster will result in funding assistance, as only the MOST SEVERE events generally meet the required thresholds. Therefore, it is important to understand the disaster declaration process and what funding may or may not be available.
Please continue to:
Document damage in photos; save all receipts for costs related to storm recovery
If you have flood insurance, file a claim
If you don't have flood insurance, determine what coverage is available within your policy
If you need assistance filing claims, resources are available to you from the New York State Department of Financial Services (Disaster and Flood Recovery Resources )