POUGHKEEPSIE- Residents and business owners in Dutchess County are being urged by county officials to report damage to private property or small businesses in the wake of the recent storm that brought flooding to the region.
The Dutchess County Department of Emergency Response is working in collaboration with New York State to determine eligibility for potential aid from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).
The State has established a Rain/Flood Damage Self-Reporting Tool for residents and businesses to report damages, an essential step towards obtaining aid under FEMA’s assistance programs. Residents are reminded that submitting their information is not a guarantee of funding, and online submissions do not register them with FEMA.
Dutchess County is awaiting a potential disaster declaration from FEMA, and the proactive measure of gathering residents’ damage information will help the County calculate residents’ losses throughout the community. If and when Dutchess County receives its disaster declaration and FEMA determines the area is eligible for Individual Assistance, residents will be notified about how to register and apply for aid.
FEMA teams will be visiting Dutchess County in the coming weeks to visit affected areas to calculate damages as part of the County’s inclusion in a Statewide Disaster Declaration under FEMA’s Public Assistance (PA) program. Information submitted by residents and businesses will be crucial in the disaster declaration determination.
