$50K Grants Available for N.Y. Homeowners to Recover from Debby

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(TNS) — Property owners whose homes were damaged by last week’s storms in a handful of upstate counties can apply for up to $50,000 for repairs.

On Sunday, Gov. Kathleen C. Hochul announced that grants of up to $50,000 will be available from the state Division of Homes and Community Renewal for properties in St. Lawrence, Franklin, Steuben, Delaware and Allegany counties.

She said the Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Services is working to determine if New York is eligible for cash assistance from the Federal Emergency Management Agency or the Small Business Administration.

“State agencies have teams on the ground helping to clear damage and we are working with our local partners as they begin damage assessments,” Hochul said. “We will continue to provide rapid relief for impacted residents and municipalities as these communities rebuild from the devastating remnants of Hurricane Debby.”

Debby, which moved from the Southeast last week after making landfall in Florida as a hurricane, dumped rain across the Northeast on Friday. Heavy rain swept across the north country Friday afternoon, swelling rivers and leaving swamped and damaged roads, overwhelmed bridges, failed culverts and flooded basements.

The HCR grants can be used to reimburse costs or directly pay for work to repair damage on a home caused by the storm. Applicants must be homeowners who live at the property as their primary residence, and are only available to people making up to 100% of the area median income. While the grants are only available in five counties now, Hochul said more counties may be added to the list as state and local emergency services officials assess the storm’s damage.

Applications for the grant program can be started at wdt.me/StormGrants.

Homeowners whose properties were damaged, even if they aren’t in one of the five counties currently eligible for extra assistance, are advised to keep an inventory of all belongings, receipts for damaged items if they are still available, records of all communication with insurers, and details on work done to repair damage.

State officials said that homeowners should only repair their property to the point that further damage will not occur until the insurance inspector can visit to assess the damage and assign a value to it. For people who relocate out of their damaged home, keep all documentation on your person and also keep the receipts for travel or hotel stays while out of the home, the state advises.

Besides the HCR grants, the Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Services is continuing to support local first responders. The state Department of Financial Services will soon be staffing regional resource centers to provide information to residents and businesses, and their disaster hotline is operating with extended hours. That hotline can be reached at 800-339-1759.

The Department of Transportation deployed 18 extra drainage team members to the north country, as well as 20 more damage assessment team members during and after the storm, as well as more than 1,400 dump trucks, 319 large loaders, 88 chippers, and hundreds of other specialty vehicles and equipment.