Warwick flood victims may apply for federal loans

WARWICK-It was quite a storm. Over the April 2-3 weekend, inches of rain were dumped on the area, flooding streets and basements, washing away roadways and culverts. Last week, Gov. George Pataki formally asked the federal government to declare 14 counties in New York disaster areas. Orange County is one of them. Then earlier this week, President George W. Bush declared those counties federal disaster areas, opening the door to those who were affected to get Federal Emergency Management Agency funding and loans. After Port Jervis and Deerpark, Warwick was one of the hardest hit areas in the county by the flooding over the weekend of April 2, according to Supervisor Michael Sweeton. "Many businesses in the village were affected," Sweeton said. "A dozen homeowners have already called to report flood damage and the town has to replace three major culverts." The culverts are located on Wawayanda, Ackerman, and Southwycke roads. Now that the president declared New York a disaster area, FEMA will come in and take applications for federal programs, Sweeton said. One program will deal with municipalities, one with businesses, and one with homeowners. Municipalities will be reimbursed for their damages; homeowners and businesses will be eligible for low-interest rate loans. Sweeton recommended that anyone with flood damage should call his office at the Town Hall, leaving their name, phone number, address, and an estimate of the damages. The list will be compiled for a few weeks and then sent to FEMA. FEMA representatives will then contact business and homeowners to complete applications for the funding. Also, take lots of pictures, he said. The Orange County Legislature appropriated $25,000 two weeks ago to aid flood victims throughout the county through local relief agencies such as the Red Cross. The state also set aside $1 million for flood relief. Anyone interested in getting more information for flood relief should call the supervisor's office at Town Hall at 986-1120.