September 07, 2007

Brooklyn Tornado - Brooklyn Residents Eligible for Federal Aid


Holy Cow! Look how the security gate got pushed in by the winds!


Some belated good news for Bay Ridge and Sunset Park. Today, it was announced that those who suffered property damage will be eligible for FEMA Assistance.

According to Rep. Vito Fossella, R-NY 13, residents who suffered damage due to the storm must register with FEMA for assistance and establish eligibility. FEMA will verify eligibility and need before assistance is offered. Residents can file an application with FEMA by calling 1-­800-­621-FEMA (or TTY 1-­800-­462-­7585 for the hearing or speech impaired) daily between 8 a.m. and 8 p.m. and by logging onto www.fema.gov
(From Brooklyn Daily Eagle )

Fossella said "“We have been speaking with federal officials on a near daily basis to demonstrate that our borough needed federal help to recover [and] this designation will allow Brooklynites … to apply for financial assistance from the federal government.“The damage throughout our community was widespread and significant,” he continued. “I want to thank FEMA for responding to our request and for providing a helping hand to affected Brooklynites.” (from The Brooklyn Paper )

Queens, which suffered more widespread damage, had been made eligible for FEMA relief last week. But individuals in Bay Ridge and Sunset Park were probably hurt more than individuals in Queens--some of them have suffered hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of damage to their homes, will be living out of hotels for six months, due to something completely and totally unexpected, almost unknowable.

Good job, President Bush, and good job, Rep. Fossella. You won't get any props from most NYC blogs, but credit will be given here where it has been earned.

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