Senator Carlucci, Congresswoman Lowey, State and Local Elected Officials Announce $9.8 Million in Federal Storm Recovery Aid for Clarkstown

WEST NYACK, N.Y. – Standing with local residents today, Congresswoman Nita Lowey (D-Westchester/Rockland), the senior Democrat on the House Appropriations Committee, New York State Senator David Carlucci, Clarkstown Town Supervisor Alex Gromack, and State Assemblyman Kenneth Zebrowski announced $9.8 million in federal storm recovery funding for the Town of Clarkstown.

The federal investments will support storm recovery and resiliency projects, including projects to address long-term flooding and help communities be prepared for future storms.

A portion of the funding is being provided through the Disaster Relief Appropriations Act, a bipartisan bill passed by Congress in January 2013 that provided $60 billion for response and recovery to aid communities in New York, New Jersey, Connecticut and others that suffered due to Sandy. As the senior Democrat on the Appropriations Committee, Congresswoman Lowey helped lead the bipartisan effort to pass the full assistance package.

The federal grants announced include:

• $3 million for flood remediation and storm resiliency projects. The details of these projects will be determined through a planning process that the town will complete over the next several months. The funds are being provided through the New York Rising Community Reconstruction (NYRCR) program, which was established by Governor Cuomo to provide additional rebuilding and revitalization assistance to communities impacted by Superstorm Sandy, Hurricane Irene, and Tropical Storm Lee. The initiative helps communities develop locally-driven recovery plans to identify innovative and essential reconstruction projects.
• $3.5 million to address flooding along the Hackensack River. Clarkstown will receive $3.5 million through the New York Hazard Mitigation Program for improvements to the Klein Avenue levee that has been impacted by flooding of the Hackensack River.  Both of these projects will address long-term flooding in the West Nyack area.  Most of the work is expected to be completed in 2015.
• $2.3 million for revitalization work and road improvements in West Nyack. This federal grant will support handicapped-accessible sidewalks, curbs and drainage, lighting, and other enhancements along Strawtown Road and Sickletown Road from the West Nyack Public Library to the Route 59 overpass.
• $1 million for flood protection work near West Nyack Hamlet Green Park.  The project will include a naturalized pond, wetland restoration and invasive species removal, as well as a walking trail and interpretive signage, permeable parking lot and rain garden along with two new enlarged culverts under West Nyack Road.

“A strong partnership among federal, state, and local governments is essential to helping communities provide services to citizens, recover from disasters, and be as prepared as possible for future storms,” said Congresswoman Lowey. “This critical federal investment is truly good news for Clarkstown, and I will continue working with every official at every level of government to ensure federal funding is helping address challenges throughout the Lower Hudson Valley.”

“We are here today standing with concerned residents from West Nyack who have first-hand knowledge of how large extreme weather events can affect a local community,” said Senator David Carlucci. “Working together on the state, local and federal level, we have fought hard to allocate more than $9 million in storm recovery aid for Clarkstown. These funds will go a long way to make sure the infrastructure of Clarkstown will safeguard residents for generations to come."

“As a former New York Assemblyman, I know how important it is to bring funds back home to our communities,” said Clarkstown Supervisor Alex Gromack. “We are very grateful to Congresswoman Lowey, Senator Carlucci and Assemblyman Zebrowski for their support of our efforts to obtain these grants for our residents that are severely impacted by flooding."

“The West Nyack community has constantly been devastated by severe flooding, especially in the last several years with the two major storms we’ve faced,” said Assemblyman Zebrowski. “This grant will help mitigate flooding by improving the area’s infrastructure and drainaage. These funds will work to reduce flooding in the future, and bring much needed relief to the residents and businesses of West Nyack.”

###