Laura Curran urges homeowners to report Ida damage, so county can access federal money

Nassau County Executive Laura Curran on Monday urged residents whose homes and businesses were hard hit by Ida last week to report the damage to the county Emergency Management office so Nassau can qualify for possibly millions of dollars in federal assistance.

President Joe Biden approved an expedited major disaster declaration earlier Monday that will deliver at least $50 million in funds to state residents and local governments to help them recover from Ida’s deadly and record-breaking rainfall.

Statewide, the storm caused 17 deaths and damaged or destroyed at least 1,200 homes.

Counties must demonstrate that they suffered at least $5 million in damages to receive the assistance, officials said.

"Nassau is requesting residents who experienced damage due to Ida to contact our office of Emergency Management at 516-573-9600 so that our county can be eligible" for assistance from the Federal Emergency Management Agency, Curran said.

"We are committed to fighting to get relief as soon as possible for our homeowners and reviewing infrastructure fixes in the future," Curran said.

Suffolk County Executive Steve Bellone’s office did not respond to requests for comment Monday.

New York Gov. Kathy Hochul asked Biden to approve an expedited major disaster declaration on Sunday.

Funds under the declaration are available to residents of Queens, Brooklyn, the Bronx, Staten Island and Westchester County, according to the White House press office.

Biden is scheduled to visit Queens and Manville, N.J., on Tuesday to survey Ida’s wreckage.

Rep. Thomas Suozzi, who visited Great Neck with Curran and other local officials Monday to assess some of the damage, said he was writing to Biden, Hochul and FEMA urging relief for Nassau County.

"I think it’s just a matter of going through bureaucracy and getting it done," said Suozzi (D-Great Neck). "I think it will happen."

The federal dollars would help homeowners receive reimbursement for repairing their homes, Suozzi said.

Long term, the county will need to review its infrastructure projects and determine how best to spend the money, he said.

Curran said the county’s "antiquated" drainage system needs updating to accommodate extreme weather.

On Monday, Curran, Suozzi and other officials visited the Great Neck home of Bahareh Nazarian, who lives there with her children, ages 4, 2 and 1.

Nazarian, a pharmacist and a resident of Great Neck since 2016, said her home suffered $200,000 in damage as a result of Ida.

"We’ve gutted out the entire first floor for the mold to dry out before it gets around the whole house," Nazarian said.

Great Neck Mayor Pedram Bral said the damage to Nazarian’s home and other residences he visited was "heartbreaking."

Suozzi warned it make some time for local residents to receive the funds to rebuild their homes and businesses.

"You’re not going to get any satisfaction for months," Suozzi said.

The state has launched an online resource hub — NY.gov/ida— where New Yorkers can find information on assistance programs and how to access shelter and food.

Hochul also said she has identified $378 million in previously awarded FEMA funding that can be used to bolster the Long Island Rail Road, the New York City subway system and other infrastructure against future extreme weather.

Hochul has urged local officials to work with state and federal agencies to identify how money can be spent to make transit systems, roads and other infrastructure better withstand extreme weather.