Cuomo deploys flood assistance teams to Mohawk Valley

Governor Andrew Cuomo announced Friday he is deploying flood assistance teams to the Mohawk Valley to accept applications for the $16 million Mohawk Valley and 2013 Upstate Flood Recovery Program. The program is intended to provide immediate recovery assistance to victims of the recent floods and to address gaps in coverage for impacted homeowners, renters, business owners and farmers in Herkimer, Madison, Montgomery and Oneida counties. Under the Mohawk Valley and 2013 Upstate Flood Recovery Program, the state is committing $16 million to ensure hard hit business owners, renters, farmers and homeowners have the financial assistance they need to recover damaged and destroyed homes and property, Cuomo said in a news release. I encourage those affected in the Mohawk Valley to visit one of these four locations to apply for assistance and speak with our states representatives for any questions. Staff from the state Department of Financial Services, Office of Homes and Community Renewal and other agencies will be deployed to four locations in the Mohawk Valley Sunday through Tuesday to provide eligible applicants with application assistance. The four locations include the Robert McLaughlin College Center at Herkimer County Community College, the senior center at 204 Canal St. in the village of Fort Plain, the New Hartford Volunteer Fire Department at 4 Oxford Rd., New Hartford, and the Oneida Recreation Center at 217 Cedar St., Oneida. Hours of operation at each location are noon to 5 p.m. on Sunday and 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Monday and Tuesday. Under the program, homeowners, small business owners, renters and farmers or farm operations in the designated counties may be eligible to receive grants, subject to the documentation of flood-related damage and uninsured losses. Homeowners and renters may be eligible for up to $31,900 in assistance, while small business owners and farmers or farm operations may be eligible for up to $50,000 in assistance. For homeowners, eligible costs include the repair and/or replacement of damage to roofs, windows, doors, siding, flooring, drywall, insulation, foundations, well and septic systems, electric systems, fuel tanks, heating and water systems and appliances, as well as remediation of environmental hazards. For renters, eligible costs may include the repair and replacement of damage to personal property, including replacement of damaged or destroyed clothing for family residing in the rental unit and replacement or repair of damaged or destroyed furniture. Homeowners whose properties were destroyed by these floods may also be eligible for a buyout of their damaged property. For businesses, eligible costs include reimbursement for losses to inventory, equipment, materials, fixtures and furniture, as well as design, construction, rehabilitation or reconstruction of flood damaged structures. For farms, funding is available for emergency funding to help with farm capital repair and replacement needs. For additional information on the flood recovery program and application materials, visit http://www.nyshcr.org/Programs/NYS-Flood. The full application will be posted before Sunday. Affected homeowners, renters, businesses and farms can may also call the state flood helpline at 1-888-769-7243 for information on how to receive assistance under the flood recovery program. The helpline is available from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Mondays through Fridays and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturdays and Sundays.

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Cuomo deploys flood assistance teams to Mohawk Valley