Assistance to New York State Sandy Survivors Tops $1.2 Billion - FOX 35 News Orlando

More than $1.2 billion in federal disaster assistance has been approved for survivors of Hurricane Sandy in New York.

While there is still much work to be done, this money has contributed significantly to the recovery effort. FEMA's priority is to get people back into their neighborhoods as soon as possible. 

"This money will help families who have been affected by Hurricane Sandy start their recovery," said Federal Coordinating Officer Michael F. Byrne. "Working with the SBA, FEMA is helping families get the money they need to repair their homes, find temporary housing and replace essential items lost in the storm." 

FEMA continues to reach out to all 13 counties designated for Individual Assistance, focusing on the hardest-hit areas. Assistance to residents in affected counties includes: 

• Bronx $2.2 million 
• Kings $180.7 million 
• Nassau $269.2 million 
• New York $12.2 million 
• Queens $211.3 million 
• Richmond $84.8 million 
• Suffolk $61.4 million

FEMA and the U.S. Small Business Administration have approved more than $1.2 billion for Hurricane Sandy survivors. FEMA has approved nearly $827 million for individuals and households, including nearly $736 million for housing assistance and more than $91 million in assistance for other needs.

• SBA has approved nearly $378 million in disaster loans to homeowners and renters and more than $25 million in disaster businesses loans. The SBA has staff members at every FEMA/State Disaster Recovery Center and 19 Business Recovery Centers in the New York area to provide one-on-one help to business owners seeking disaster assistance.
• More than 260,000 New Yorkers have contacted FEMA for information or registered for assistance, including more than 141,000 who have applied through the online application site at www.DisasterAssistance.gov or on their smartphone at m.fema.gov. 
• 23 Disaster Recovery Centers are open in the affected areas. These include mobile sites as well as fixed sites, and to date more than 117,000 survivors have been assisted at Disaster Recovery Centers in New York.
• 58 inspectors are currently in the field. To date 169,031 home inspections have been completed, making a 99.4 percent completion rate. 
• 13 New York counties are designated for both Individual Assistance and Public Assistance. These are Bronx, Kings, Nassau, New York, Orange, Putnam, Queens, Richmond, Rockland, Suffolk, Sullivan, Ulster and Westchester. Greene County has been designated for Public Assistance only. 
• Public Assistance funds are also flowing; so far, more than $323 million has been obligated to the state to help replenish dollars spent to protect New Yorkers before, during and after the storm. The FEMA PA program reimburses state and local governments and certain private nonprofit organizations 75 percent of costs for disaster-related expenses associated with emergency protective measures, debris removal, and the repair and restoration of damaged infrastructure. In order to qualify, damage must be a direct result of Hurricane Sandy.

Individuals can register with FEMA online at www.DisasterAssistance.gov or via smartphone or tablet at m.fema.gov. Applicants may also call 800-621-3362 or (TTY) 800-462-7585. 

Applicants who use 711-Relay or Video Relay Services (VRS) can call 800-621-3362. 

The toll-free telephone numbers are operating 24 hours a day, seven days a week, until further notice.