FEMA Hurricane Aid Expanded To Brooklyn

Well over two weeks since Irene paid us a visit, the county of Kings has finally been added to the FEMA disaster aid list.

Residents, property owners, as well as certain non-profit organizations are now eligible to apply for federal aid to cover property damage incurred from the tropical storm.

Brooklyn not only incurred some of the worst damage from Irene – which made landfall in Coney Island – but was the only of New York City’s five boroughs to be excluded from the list.

Officials had blamed Brooklyn’s absence from the eligibility list on a bureaucratic error.

In a statement released yesterday, Rep. Jerrold Nadler (D- New York), who had previously requested Brooklyn be added to FEMA’s disaster aid list, praised the change.

“I am glad that FEMA recognized that property owners, infrastructure and institutions in Kings County incurred damages as a result of Hurricane Irene and are, therefore, eligible to apply for aid,” said Nadler.  “Especially in Brooklyn, the storm caused flooding and downed trees throughout many neighborhoods, and I have heard from a number of constituents who were adversely affected.  Now they have a pathway towards rebuilding after the storm.”

Rep. Jerrold Nadler represents New York’s 8th Congressional District, which includes Manhattan’s Upper West Side, Hell’s Kitchen, Chelsea, SoHo, Greenwich Village, TriBeCa, the Financial District and Battery Park City.  In Brooklyn, the 8th District includes parts of Borough Park, Red Hook, Sunset Park, Bay Ridge, Bensonhurst, Coney Island, Brighton Beach, Gravesend, Dyker Heights, Bath Beach and Seagate.