Estimates of damage following a natural disaster are always elusive.
It”™s not until the insurance adjusters ”“ who always adjust down it seems ”“ make their reports that we can get an “official” estimate of the amount of damage a storm leaves in its wake.
But we”™re not going out on a limb when we say the recent nor”™easter inflicted damage in the tens of millions of dollars on Westchester businesses.
Small and medium-size businesses along Long Island Sound as well as those along the Sprain and Bronx, which regain their “river” status only during heavy rains, are all filing dire loss reports. And don”™t forget to calculate in the amount of potential business lost as well. And the lost wages to the workers.
Anthony Catanese was doubly hit; his business and home were flooded. Catanese, who owns Fail-Safe Systems in Mamaroneck and also rents space for his research engineering shop, said it was a total loss.
“At least $100,000 of tools and equipment (were) totally wiped out. They”™re all going to be in the scrap pile.”
He and other business owners as well as residents took advantage of the photo-op/tour by U.S. Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton, Rep. Nita Lowey and FEMA Administrator R. David Paulison and pleaded their respective cases for assistance.
Last week, President Bush declared Westchester, Rockland and Orange counties disaster areas. That means homeowners are eligible for up to $28,200 in grants or up to $200,000 in small-business loans to repair property and up to $40,000 for replacement of personal property such as belongings. Businesses are eligible for up to $1.5 million in loans.
Clinton, Lowey and County Executive Andy Spano stepped in by offering to create a public charity that would accept monetary contributions and then disburse them to residents without mucking it up with bureaucratic red tape.
We can get behind that kind of thinking. Only thing is, who”™s going to dig in their pockets to help?
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Catanese said he”™s not looking for a federal loan, he wants the chance of any future floods from occurring to be remedied. Another longtime businessman wondered if the sewers had been cleaned out. We”™re not engineers, but we wondered about that too. As long as there is preventative maintenance, shouldn”™t the rainwater flow through the sewers unabated? Sure treatment plants can handle x-number of gallons per minute, but isn”™t there a way to divert the rainwater to a reservoir or holding tank to alleviate street flooding?
We”™re asking and looking for an answer. So are the business owners and residents who incurred great losses.
We”™ve seen enough damage caused by unusual weather recently to know we”™re not prepared ”“ or equipped ”“ to handle what Mother Nature has in store. Our elected officials and representatives need to move on this. Now. That means taking the lead and coming up with solutions to stem the problems. Not waiting and seeing ”“ and then offering watered-down assistance.
That”™s water under the bridge.
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