Nearly $280M in relief funding allocated to New York following Hurricane Ida

As of Nov. 8, nearly $280 million in assistance from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and the U.S. Small Business Administration has flowed into New York to help those affected by Hurricane Ida.

The September hurricane flooded streets and subway stations and left parts of the Brooklyn Queens Expressway impassable after dumping 3 inches of rain an hour on parts of the city. Hitting parts of southern New York City and outlying counties to the north and east of the city, the hurricane destroyed homes, businesses, and equipment.

In the two months since, community leaders have joined with nonprofit and voluntary agencies, New York City Emergency Management, New York State Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Services, and FEMA to help New Yorkers. The coordinated efforts have started to repair the damage while providing survivors with housing, financial assistance for temporary rental payments, unemployment benefits, and food, healthcare, legal, and mental health assistance.

FEMA approved New Yorkers for more than $142.1 million in disaster assistance. New York Gov. Kathy Hochul and New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio established a $27 million fund for undocumented individuals through the New York State Office for New Americans. And the Small Business Administration approved $137.7 million in home and business loans for Hurricane Ida survivors.

“FEMA remains committed to assisting the residents of southern New York as they clean up and repair the damage from Hurricane Ida,” said Federal Coordinating Officer Lai Sun Yee, who is leading the federal effort. “We continue to work with New York State, New York City, and other local emergency managers to help the communities recover and address some of the unique challenges we face here.”

Under the major disaster declaration approved by President Joe Biden on Sept. 5, residents of the Bronx, Dutchess, Kings, Nassau, Queens, Richmond, Rockland, Suffolk, and Westchester counties are eligible to apply for FEMA’s Individuals and Households Program to get financial assistance and direct services for homeowners and renters who have uninsured or underinsured expenses and needs as a direct result of the storm.