Hurricane Sandy

There’s a new program with the New York Rangers that will benefit two communities hit hard by Hurricane Sandy, one of which is in the Hudson Valley.

WASHINGTON (AP) — The House has overwhelmingly approved a bill to allow houses of worship damaged by Superstorm Sandy to receive federal disaster aid from the Federal Emergency Management Agency.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency has notified one New York county that it will not be sending down any Individual Assistance Funding for damage resulting from “Superstorm” Sandy.

Battered and beseiged in the 2011 twin storm event of Irene and Lee, Greene county is taking it on the chin when it comes to FEMA aid relating to the October 2012 visit from Hurricane Sandy.

A New York State Senate Bipartisan Task Force has issued its first report regarding how to move forward with Hurricane Sandy recovery efforts. One of their recommendations concerns the response of utility companies during and after a major storm.

A New York State Senate Bipartisan Task Force on Hurricane Sandy Recovery has released its first report. The senators have come up with preliminary recommendations to help recovery efforts and assist in disaster planning.

ALBANY, N.Y. (AP) — With New York officials now proposing to spend $400 million to buy and demolish downstate homes damaged by October's Superstorm Sandy, they say 646 buyout applications have been federally approved for $55 million in a buyout program for upstate properties damaged in 2011 by the back-to-back storms Irene and Lee.

NEW YORK (AP) — New York City is launching a $15 million program to clean up at least 2,000 homes contaminated with mold because of flooding during Superstorm Sandy. Storm victims enrolled in the program will be able to get their homes scrubbed of mold for free by private contractors. Money for the project is being put up by three charities: The American Red Cross, the Robin Hood Foundation and the Mayor's Fund to Advance New York City. No federal, state or city tax dollars are involved. The work is being overseen by a nonprofit development company. Mold has become a problem in flood-ravaged parts of the city, and the cost of properly removing the stuff can be substantial. And unlike other types of damage, the Federal Emergency Management Agency does not cover mold remediation.

President Barack Obama says he'll sign a $50.5 billion emergency measure for Superstorm Sandy victims as soon as it lands on his desk. The U.S. Senate approved the bill Monday after the House earlier this month had stripped the bill of spending unrelated to disasters.

Yesterday the Senate cleared the bill, 62-36. Northeast lawmakers say the money is desperately needed to help recovery efforts from the one of the region's worst storms. The House passed the bill two weeks ago.