News & Announcements New York State Establishes Hurricane Sandy Helpline NEW 10/29/12
A Hurricane Sandy Helpline has been made operational for New York State residents in anticipation of the storm's landfall.
Residents can call 1–888-769-7243 or 1-518-485-1159 for information about preparing for the hurricane and its impact. Information will also be available for referrals to County Emergency Management Offices and American Red Cross Shelters and road closures. Language translation services are also available by request.
Residents in certain areas can also call 2-1-1 where United Way 2-1-1 operators will provide information on shelters, local assistance center locations, mental health resources, and food banks. State focus for 2-1-1 for this incident is to collect and maintain information on offers of assistance, donations and those wishing to volunteer.
2-1-1 Hours of Operation:
- New York City, Finger Lakes (including Tompkins, & Bath partner sites) 24 hours a day
- Western New York - serving Hudson Valley, the Adirondacks, the Capital Region and Long Island) hours are from 9am – 7pm
- Susquehanna River Region – hours are from 8:30pm – 4pm
- PLEASE NOTE: 2-1-1 does not operate in most of Central New York.
Updates via cellphone and computer are also available from NY ALERT, New York State's All-Hazards Alert and Notification System. NY ALERT is a free, web-based portal that allows State agencies, county and local governments, emergency service agencies and institutions of higher learning to provide emergency alerting information and private notifications to a defined audience (local, county, regional or statewide).
If you wish to receive emergency information, you can register on the NY-ALERT website at www.nyalert.gov. Your email address will be your identifier. If you do not have access to the web, you may still sign up for NY-ALERT by calling 1-888-697-6972.
STORM RELIEF
Recent News:
National Grid Announces Emergency Economic Development Assistance Program 1/30/12 National Grid’s has established an Emergency Economic Development Program to provide economic development assistance to communities and customers who have been impacted by the devastating effects of Huricane Irene and Tropical Storm Lee. The goal of the program is to fill gaps in funding allocated to communities or businesses through federal and state programs, insurance or other emergency sources.
Programs elements include:
- Emergency Commercial District Investment
- Emergency Agriculture Fund
- Emergency Economic Development Bridge Loan
- Emergency Mainstreet Revitalization
Click here for more information.
NYSERDA Announces Agriculture Disaster Energy Efficiency Program 1/25/12
Many New York State farms sustained significant damage by the recent storms and existing aid is primarily focused on crops and soil conservation. Under this program, $4,175,000 is available to provide financial assistance toward projects replacing and installing a farm’s electric and natural gas distribution and use equipment and systems damaged during the storms in non-residential facilities.
Click here for program information.
Click here for application.
Empire State Development Announces Grants to Help Businesses with Flood Recovery A $21 million Business Flood Recovery Grant Program will provide grants of up to $20,000 for eligible small businesses, farms, multiple dwellings, and not-for-profits that sustained flood-related damage in Hurricane Irene or Tropical Storm Lee. Funding is geared to help offset the costs of storm-related repairs and restoration of structures not covered by other federal, state or local recovery programs. Preference will be given to applicants that demonstrate the greatest need.
Applicants can access the application form, instructions, and guidelines, as well as additional information about the program at http://www.esd.ny.gov/BusinessPrograms/FloodRecovery.html.
Information can also be obtained by calling 518-292-5340 or emailing floodrecovery@esd.ny.gov.
The deadline for the application is March 16, 2012.
Governor Cuomo Announces Additional Resources for Storm Victims Affected by Hurricane Irene and Tropical Storm Lee 11/16/11
Up to $3 million will be made available to Main Street businesses in some of the hardest hit areas with money from the New York State Agricultural and Community Recovery Fund, a $15 million fund set up in September to help rebuild from the storms. 5 million in funding is being made available to help repair and replace furnaces damaged as a result of Hurricane Irene and Tropical Storm Lee.
Click here for more information on these programs and additional housing, business and infrastructure funds that are also available.
Additional Resources:
United Way 2-1-1
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What is 2-1-1? United Way's 2-1-1 Helpline is a free, confidential, multilingual service to assist the public to find the answers to a variety of Health and Human Services related questions. Whether answering to a natural disaster, a personal emergency or to furnish tools to foster independent lives, United Way's 2-1-1 seeks to help those in need wherever they live. 2-1-1 can give callers up-to-date information on emergency shelters, road conditions, etc. |
New York State Disaster Assistance Handbook.
The County Emergency Management Office is designated to provide the centralized coordination of all these management activities, including coordination of resources, manpower and services and the centralized direction of requests for assistance, during man-made and natural disasters.
Emergency Management responsibilities date back to the Congressional Act of 1803 that is generally considered the origin of disaster legislation. Since that time, disaster management came under various governmental departments, probably most notably, Civil Defense Preparedness Agency before becoming known as the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).
County responsibilities are closely related to the responsibility of the local levels of government within the County, i.e., the city, towns and incorporated villages, to manage all phases of disasters. The county has the responsibility to assist the local levels of government in the event that they have fully committed their resources and are still unable to cope with any disaster. Similarly, New York State is obligated to provide assistance to the county after resources have been exhausted and the county is unable to cope with the disaster.
The County Emergency Management Office works closely with the New York State Emergency Management Office (SEMO) and the Federal Emergency Management Office (FEMA) in Preparedness, Response, Recovery and Mitigation, involving either man-made or natural disasters.
The ultimate goal of Emergency Management is to minimize the loss of life, property, and disruptions to government and businesses, in the community.
DisasterAssistance.gov is an easy to use website that consolidates disaster information in one place. Currently, 17 U.S. Government agencies, which sponsor more than 40 forms of federal disaster assistance, contribute to the website. You can apply for many forms of assistance with a single, online application.
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Schenectady County Emergency Management Offer Emergency Preparedness Tips
The Schenectady County Office of Emergency Management is helping all residents engage in proper emergency preparedness.
Click below to access tips on creating emergency kits, preparing for a pandemic flu, and developing a family emergency plan. You can also link to resources from the Red Cross, New York State Health Department, Centers for Disease Control, and others. You can also view the newly adopted County Comprehensive Emergency Management Plan.
More information |
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Schenectady County Volunteer Incentive Program
Schenectady County recognizes the outstanding job performed by local volunteers in the emergency services arena. in appreciation, the County has created a Volunteer Incentive Program to reward our dedicated men and women who give their time to help keep our communities safe.
Click here for more information |
The County Emergency Management Office is designated to provide the centralized coordination of all these management activities, including coordination of resources, manpower and services and the centralized direction of requests for assistance, during man-made and natural disasters.Emergency Management responsibilities date back to the Congressional Act of 1803 that is generally considered the origin of disaster legislation. Since that time, disaster management came under various governmental departments, probably most notably, Civil Defense Preparedness Agency before becoming known as the (FEMA). County responsibilities are closely related to the responsibility of the local levels of government within the County, i.e., the city, towns and incorporated villages, to manage all phases of disasters. The county has the responsibility to assist the local levels of government in the event that they have fully committed their resources and are still unable to cope with any disaster. Similarly, New York State is obligated to provide assistance to the county after resources have been exhausted and the county is unable to cope with the disaster.The County Emergency Management Office works closely with the (SEMO) and the Federal Emergency Management Office (FEMA) in Preparedness, Response, Recovery and Mitigation, involving either man-made or natural disasters. The ultimate goal of Emergency Management is to minimize the loss of life, property, and disruptions to government and businesses, in the community. is an easy to use website that consolidates disaster information in one place. Currently, 17 U.S. Government agencies, which sponsor more than 40 forms of federal disaster assistance, contribute to the website. You can apply for many forms of assistance with a single, online application.