Contact: Colleen Roche (212) 788-2958 or Brad Billett (212) 442-9260
"The establishment of the Disaster Assistance Center is our latest effort to ease some of the pain and grief suffered by those who lost property during last week's flooding," Mayor Giuliani said. "The City will make certain that every City resource is at their disposal. I am also asking Governor Pataki to determine if residents and businesses are eligible for Small Business Administration Disaster Declaration and Federal Disaster Aid."
Last Wednesday's heavy rainfall flooded many homes and businesses in the Cambria Heights, St. Albans, Springfield Gardens and South Ozone Park sections of Queens. The Mayor's Office of Emergency Management coordinated the City's initial response which included the Fire Department and Department of Environmental Protection pumping out numerous flooded cellars and the Mayor's Community Assistance Unit providing additional assistance for residents.
The American Red Cross has already completed 70 preliminary Disaster Assessments. Joint damage assessment teams from the Mayor's Office of Emergency Management, the Department of Buildings and the Red Cross will continue to assess homes and businesses tomorrow and throughout the weekend.
The center will be staffed seven days a week by representatives from the Mayor's Office of Emergency Management, the Mayor's Community Assistance Unit, New York City Comptroller's Office, the Department of Health, the Department of Sanitation, the Department of Environmental Protection, the Department of Buildings, the Department for the Aging, the Department of Consumer Affairs, the Human Resources Administration, the Office of the Queens Borough President, the American Red Cross, Con Edison and Brooklyn Union Gas. Beginning tomorrow, citizens with claims will be able to contact the center by phone at (718) 978-1456.