Gov. Kathy Hochul announced on Saturday that President Joe Biden approved her request for a major disaster declaration following flooding that hit several areas of the state, including the Finger Lakes, earlier this month.
Hochul said that the floods caused more than $100 million in damage around the state.
Some of the worst flooding was downstate, particularly in Orange County, but Ontario County, mainly the Canandaigua area, saw a lot of flood damage from the more than five inches of rain that fell.
The disaster designation releases federal assistance for Clinton, Dutchess, Essex, Hamilton, Ontario, Orange, Putnam and Rockland counties.
Hochul said those counties will now have access to financial support for things like removal of debris, emergency protective measures and repairs to public buildings and infrastructure.
Hochul said that her administration will work with the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) in the coming weeks, “to ensure our local government partners receive the critical funding they need to begin the recovery and rebuilding process.”
New York is also working with the U.S. Small Business Administration to pursue low-interest loans for affected businesses. The governor’s office said that further help for individuals and additional counties across the state still remains under federal review at this time.
