Westchester, New York City and two other storm-stricken counties in the region were approved last weekend for additional disaster assistance funding by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).
The counties, as well as state and local governments and some private nonprofit organizations, are eligible for federal reimbursement for disaster-related costs incurred for road systems, water control facilities, public buildings and equipment, public utilities and parks and recreation, Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced.
The five boroughs and Suffolk and Rockland counties also will receive the federal aid in addition to previously approved assistance for emergency measures and debris removal.
Cuomo also announced over the weekend that the state has received an approximately $27.9 million Disaster National Emergency Grant from the U.S. Labor Department that will be used to hire workers left jobless by Hurricane Sandy in the state”™s nine-county disaster area. The workers will join in the cleanup and recovery efforts.
To be eligible, workers must be unemployed as a result of last week”™s storm or unemployed and not receiving unemployment benefits or other types of income support.
Interested workers should call 1-888-4-NYSDOL. The state labor department will work with local officials to recruit and hire workers. Information will also be available at local disaster recovery centers and one-stop career centers.
