President Obama signs disaster declaration after September tornadoes that struck New York City

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President Obama signs disaster declaration after September tornadoes that struck New York City

2010-10-15 08:32:58 GMT+7 (ICT)

NEW YORK (BNO NEWS) -- President Barack Obama on Thursday declared that a major disaster exists in the State of New York and ordered Federal aid to supplement State and local recovery efforts in the area struck by severe storms, tornadoes, and straight-line winds last month.

On September 16, two rare but relatively weak tornadoes touched down in New York City during a powerful storm that caused widespread damage, killing one person and injuring others.

The National Weather Service (NWS) said one of the tornadoes touched down near Park Slope in Brooklyn with maximum wind speeds around 80 miles (129 kilometers) per hour. "The tornado touched down in Park Slope and lifted 2 miles [northeast] of Park Slope," the agency said last month.

The second tornado touched down about 2.5 miles (4 kilometers) south of Flushing in Queens and lifted about one mile (1.6 kilometer) northeast of Bayside. This tornado was slightly stronger with maximum wind speeds of around 100 miles (161 kilometers) per hour.

A woman, identified as Iline Leuakis, was killed when a tree crashed into her car on the Grand Central Parkway in Queens as the tornado hit. "The severity of the storm may have caught us by surprise, but New Yorkers are a resilient people and we will get through this ordeal together," said New York Governor David Paterson after the storms.

In addition to the two tornadoes, a microburst hit near Middle Village in Queens. "The path of the microburst was from Middle Village to Forest Hills," the NWS said.

"A microburst is a convective downdraft with an affected outflow area of less than 2.5 miles (4 kilometers) wide and peak winds lasting less than 5 minutes," the agency explained. "Microbursts may induce dangerous horizontal/vertical wind shears which can adversely affect aircraft performance and cause property damage."

The powerful storm left more than 30,000 people - most of them in Queens and Staten island - without power. "This is one of those things that while it may be an act of God it doesn't make it any easier for us," said Mayor Michael Bloomberg as he surveyed storm damage last month. "People are concerned, they have every right to be concerned. The good news is that most people were safe, just annoyed – traffic being bad or a tree coming down in their yard."

After Obama's disaster declaration, Federal funding is available to State and eligible local governments and certain private nonprofit organizations on a cost-sharing basis for emergency work and the repair or replacement of facilities damaged by the severe storms and tornadoes in the counties of Kings, Queens, and Richmond. Federal funding is also available on a cost-sharing basis for hazard mitigation measures statewide.

The White House said William Craig Fugate, Administrator of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), named Philip E. Parr as the Federal Coordinating Officer for Federal recovery operations in the affected area.

Both New York Governor David Paterson and New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg welcomed the declaration to enable federal disaster assistance. "This is certainly welcomed news for New York City and removes a tremendous financial burden," Governor Paterson said. "The storm that spawned two tornadoes wreaked a path of devastation the likes of which New York City hasn't seen in 25 years. I thank the President, FEMA Administrator Craig Fugate and our Congressional Delegation for ensuring New York receives the assistance it so desperately needs."

The Federal declaration provides 75 percent reimbursement to the three boroughs for the costs of response, debris removal and repairs to public property. A preliminary damage assessment conducted by Federal, State and local inspectors estimated damage and cleanup costs at more than $27 million.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has not yet acted on the Governor's request for Individual Assistance program relief for homeowners, renters and businesses in the boroughs of Brooklyn, Queens and Staten Island.

Director of the New York State Office of Emergency Management (OEM) Andrew Feeney said: "State OEM and the New York City Office of Emergency Management conducted a detailed assessment of the September 16 storm which demonstrated a strong need for Federal assistance. Now, we will work closely with FEMA to ensure that the City and its citizens receive all eligible Federal aid."

FEMA also granted statewide implementation of the Hazard Mitigation program, which provides 75 percent of the approved costs for hazard mitigation projects undertaken by State and local governments to prevent or reduce long-term risk to life or property from natural or technological disasters.

Mayor Bloomberg said Obama cleared the way for the reimbursement of millions of dollars of costs incurred by New York City for clean up following the violent storm. "I want to thank President Obama for dispatching a team to survey the damage and for quickly reviewing New York City's case," he said. "I also want to thank the hundreds of New Yorkers who picked up trees and branches in their neighborhoods and also those who called 311 to report storm damage. Those calls helped us show the survey teams the hardest hit parts of the City and helped New York City meet the application requirements for this declaration. The Federal government is still considering whether to award individual assistance for those who suffered uninsured losses, and I am hopeful that request will be granted."

Tornadoes are extremely rare in New York City, and September's tornadoes were the first time on record that a tornado caused a fatality in the city. The last time a tornado hit New York City was in July, when a weak tornado swirled through the Bronx.

Prior to that, two tornadoes touched down in Staten Island and Brooklyn on August 8, 2007. Other tornadoes touched down in 2003, 1995, 1990, 1985 and 1974. No other tornadoes were recorded since records began in 1950.

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