County gets FEMA aid for Sandy cleanup

Westchester County has been awarded approximately $2.7 million from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) as partial reimbursement for debris removal and other cleanup costs from Hurricane Sandy.

The award was announced Wednesday by Rep. Nita Lowey, D-18^th Distr. “This federal aid is critical to help our county recover and rebuild from Sandy, and to protect taxpayers from the costs of Sandy cleanup,” she said in the announcement.

Westchester County Executive Robert P. Astorino in a statement said the federal aid “is important and is a good first step as we continue to repair the extensive damage.” County officials have said the superstorm caused $42 million in damage to county-owned facilities alone.   

The cleanup funding was included in the Disaster Relief Appropriations Act, a bipartisan bill aimed at helping states affected by Sandy that Congress passed in January.