Schumer, Gillibrand ask feds for storm aid

Seeking federal emergency aid for New York State's farmers hit by Hurricane Irene, Sens. Charles Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand have asked the U.S. Department of Agriculture to provide disaster relief as soon as possible.

The request could result in financial assistance to compensate for crop losses, low-interest emergency loans and assistance in rehabilitating farm land, the senators said.

The request covers Long Island, the Hudson Valley, and upstate.

"Farmers in these regions have suffered from floods which left fields submerged in water, high winds which have leveled crops, and power outages which have left dairy farmers unable to milk their cows," the two senators said in a prepared statement.

A federal disaster finding would speed farmers' access to the USDA's emergency loan, supplemental revenue assistance, emergency conservation and emergency watershed protection programs.