Officials: FEMA has disbursed $665G in Suffolk

About $665,000 in cash assistance has been provided to 94 Suffolk County families by the Federal Emergency Management Agency, officials said Saturday at a mobile service center in Shirley, as they vowed long-term assistance to Long Islanders besieged by the effects of superstorm Sandy and urged them to seek assistance at FEMA centers across the Island.

"The commitment is here to help those residents who will need help long-term," Suffolk County Executive Steve Bellone said, adding that it's "critical" for those affected by the storm to register with FEMA.

By early afternoon, FEMA had helped register about 150 people for disaster assistance at the mobile crisis center at the Town of Brookhaven's Mastic Recreation Center, officials said. FEMA officials planned to operate that center until 7 p.m. Saturday and from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Sunday.

Officials said the mobile center would move its resources to Southold Town Hall on Monday and Tuesday and to East Hampton Village Hall for Wednesday and Thursday.

"Every level of government is working as hard as it can to cope with this tragedy," Rep. Tim Bishop (D-Southampton) said.

Addressing the gas shortage across Long Island, Bishop said that 5 million gallons of fuel had started to flow to the area and would continue in the next 72 hours.

"This is going to get better as each day passes," Bishop said. "We will begin the process of normalcy."

SEE PHOTOSSandy's impact on Long Island

The FEMA center in Shirley buzzed with people seeking assistance.

Ron Austin, a retiree who lives in Mastic Beach on the Great South Bay, ate a ham and cheese sandwich and coleslaw provided by the Red Cross as he waited for his wife to file for FEMA assistance.

He said the most immediate need he has is to get the power back on, so he can begin cleaning up his flooded home -- and hopefully rebuild.

"They're helping," said Austin, 69. "But they're not going to do anything today."

His wife, Kathy Austin, 65, said she's been spending lots of time at her job in Hampton Bays.

"It smells of fuel and mud and septic all in the rugs and on the walls," she said. "It's a mess. We're not as bad off as some people -- thank the lord."