Dutchess County Launches Online Portal
to Document Ida Damages
Residents, businesses encouraged to submit damage
information for possible federal reimbursement
Poughkeepsie, NY … Dutchess County Executive Marc Molinaro announced today that to assist residents and businesses in the wake of Hurricane Ida, the County’s Department of Emergency Response is collecting information through an online portal from residents and businesses who have experienced damage or loss associated with the storm, which impacted Dutchess County earlier this month.
Such information collection is an essential step toward determining eligibility for a federal disaster declaration that could result in disaster aid from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). 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 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.
County Executive Molinaro said, “More than a week after the remnants of Hurricane Ida swept through Dutchess County, her toll continues to be calculated – by local residents and businesses, as well as municipalities. To better assess the grand monetary total of the devastation caused by the storm, Dutchess County has launched our online portal, which I urge residents and businesses to utilize to report their damages. Collecting this data will provide the County a better picture of our local losses, which we’ll share with New York State and FEMA.”
Among other basic information collected on the online portal, residents and businesses will be asked to provide:
- the type of structure that was damaged;
- the water depth in living area or production/business space;
- loss or damage cost estimate; and
- a brief description of the loss or damage.
Earlier this month, the County Executive encouraged residents, businesses and municipalities to document storm damage and storm restoration efforts. Though Dutchess County has met its financial threshold for public assistance with New York State and FEMA, the County continues to seek the most accurate estimate of damages for reimbursement.
County Executive Molinaro and the Department of Emergency Response remain in constant contact with both state and federal officials, as well as local municipalities’ leadership.
