On July 16th, thunderstorms struck Rome, New York impacting both the downtown area and surrounding communities
Syracuse, NY – Today, New York’s 22nd Congressional District Democratic nominee John Mannion urged the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to be on standby to approve any request from New York State for a major disaster declaration in response to devastating thunderstorms and tornado-force winds that caused destruction to and power outages in homes and businesses in Rome, New York and surrounding areas on Tuesday, July 16th.
“This week, communities across Central New York and the Mohawk Valley have been significantly damaged and impacted by severe storms. I’m grateful to the first responders who are working tirelessly to keep us all safe. I’m calling on FEMA to distribute emergency federal funding to support those affected counties and New York State and be ready, if the state requests it, to make a disaster declaration as quickly as possible,” said John Mannion.
A copy of Mannion’s letter appears below:
Dear Administrator Criswell:
I write in strong support of communities in Central New York and the Mohawk Valley after the devastating tornado and storms ripped through our region. I urge the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to work with affected counties and New York State to respond to the impacts of these storms and, if the state requests it, to make a disaster declaration and individual and public assistance available as quickly as possible.
On July 16, 2024 a massive thunderstorm and tornado hit the City of Rome and storms hit communities across Oneida and Madison Counties. Storm winds reached up to 79 mph in Rome, destroying homes, small businesses, churches, and infrastructure. Reports indicate that streets in the City of Rome smelled strongly of gas and the Oneida County Sheriff’s Office has closed streets due to power lines being down and the risk of gas leaks. In Madison County, one person was killed and officials believe the death was weather-related. According to local officials, tens of thousands of people were left without power.
State, county, and local officials have worked tirelessly since the storm and tornado to keep people safe, restore power, and mitigate the damage. But the widespread nature of this weather disaster requires help from the federal government. Federal support is also critical to protect public health and safety and provide relief, like housing assistance, disaster unemployment assistance and crisis counseling, to individuals whose homes and businesses were destroyed in this disaster. With so many Central New Yorkers affected, I urge FEMA to stand ready to participate in a Preliminary Damage Assessment and to approve assistance, should the state request it.
Thank you for your prompt attention to this matter.
Sincerely,
John Mannion
Image by rikkerst from Pixabay
