Senator Rob Rolison on Major Disaster Declaration for Dutchess, Orange, Putnam Counties

POUGHKEEPSIE -- State Senator Rob Rolison (R-39th District) today released the following statement after the Biden administration issued a Major Disaster Declaration for Dutchess, Orange, and Putnam counties, among others.

The federal government's order will deliver disaster relief to affected localities and follows on the heels of Rolison and other elected officials demanding that state and federal authorities prioritize towns and villages severely impacted by the July 9 storm that released a season's worth of rain into the Hudson Valley in just a few hours. While damage assessments are ongoing, at least one estimate from the Town of Pawling, Dutchess County puts the total cost at close to $9 million.

"This action will send much-needed funding and assistance to the Hudson Valley communities hit hardest by the July 9 storm and floods. Help is on the way. 

"In the meantime, I will continue to remain in close communication with local leaders in Orange, Dutchess, and Putnam counties to help coordinate the ongoing recovery efforts. 

"From its start, this was a team effort, involving a number of hardworking stakeholders, especially our storm- and flood-impacted residents, and will remain so now that the federal government has provided us with the resources our local towns and villages desperately need to rebuild," said Rolison.