Buffalo News: Gallivan urges disaster relief for West Seneca flood victims

The governor is being asked to provide disaster aid to victims of last winter’s ice jam flooding in the Town of West Seneca.

“The state has an obligation to assist residents and businesses impacted by natural disasters,” State Sen. Patrick M. Gallivan, R-Elma, said in a statement today. “We have done so in the past for the victims of Hurricane Irene and Superstorm Sandy. Now it’s time to help the residents of West Seneca who suffered tremendous property damage caused by the harsh winter weather.”

Seventy homes in the Lexington Green neighborhood off Mineral Springs Road were damaged to varying degrees when Buffalo Creek flooded during a Jan. 11 warm-up.

In September, the state announced that $500,000 was allocated to the town, which incurred approximately $700,000 in expenses related to the flooding and cleanup. But aid to the affected residents has come primarily through community fundraising efforts.

“Many of these residents have nowhere else to turn as they try to recover from the damage caused by these floods. They need our help,” the senator said.

Gallivan suggests, in a letter to Gov. Andrew Cuomo, that money set aside in the state’s operations budget be used to assist localities that have suffered from natural and man-made disasters. The senator’s office also is working with the state Home and Community Renewal Agency to secure possible funding.

http://www.buffalonews.com/city-region/west-seneca/gallivan-urges-disaster-relief-for-west-seneca-flood-victims-20141015