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.
County officials acknowledge receiving a letter from FEMA at the end of January stating that "damage to the dwellings in Greene County was not of the severity and magnitude to warrant inclusion” in the aid program.
Greene County isn't alone: the State of Maryland was denied FEMA aid, even though it was declared a "major disaster" by President Obama, and suffered $27 million dollars in damage. And New Jersey residents were stunned to hear the federal government has rejected a request for a little more than $1 million in aid to restore the destroyed boardwalk in Ocean Grove. FEMA says the boardwalk does not qualify for federal aid because the Ocean Grove Camp Meeting Association, considered a private nonprofit organization, owns it.
FEMA also denied several Florida communities assistance to repair $44.9 million in damage to infrastructure and beaches caused by Sandy.
Several New York counties including Ulster, Putnam, Orange and Westchester HAVE been granted both Public AND Individual Assistance --- Greene County was the only one denied Individual Assistance. $215,000 in Public Assistance funding IS being distributed throughout Greene County.
Calls to FEMA were not returned in time for broadcast.
