Dutchess County Executive Molinaro: Some families impacted by Ida left out of federal assistance

After Ida struck the Hudson Valley, some residents were unable to reopen their businesses - while others were even left homeless.

News 12 Staff

Sep 25, 2021, 2:08 AM

Updated 1,105 days ago

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Dutchess County Executive Marc Molinaro says some residents in need of federal funding to recover from Ida are being left out.
After Ida struck the Hudson Valley, some residents were unable to reopen their businesses - while others were even left homeless.
The FEMA assistance that was approved for Orange, Dutchess and Putnam counties is only for municipalities to use on public properties, not for the private individual.
Molinaro says this has left many of his constituents who lost everything without any help to rebuild.
Because damage from Ida isn't as widespread in Dutchess, Orange and Putnam counties, FEMA isn't giving families there any grants.
"We understand that….we didn't receive the brunt of the storm, but the people who were impacted, did, and those individuals deserve the same assistance as others in the region,” Molinaro says.
Taryn Callahan, of Hartsdale, needs $100,000 to rebuild her home. She says her family lost everything, including her 5-year-old son's long list of expensive medications.
Shane has Behçet's Disease, an inflammatory and autoimmune condition that causes a wide range of issues.
"It was too soon to refill, so the money that FEMA gave us went directly to that, and that was a huge help because we would've never been able to afford the $100 a can for formula and you know, all of the medications,” Callahan says.
Molinaro is driving the point home to FEMA that some families in the county are facing similar issues but have not received aid from FEMA.
"We're hopeful that our federal representatives and FEMA will come through with that designation sometime soon,” he says.
In the meantime, Molinaro urges residents who are still trying to rebuild to complete a survey on the county’s website. Residents can list and estimate the damages caused to their homes or businesses, which Molinaro says will help his team get FEMA funding for families.
If you want to help the Callahan family, you can donate to their GoFundMe page.