AFTER HIS ADVOCACY, SCHUMER ANNOUNCES NEARLY $300,000 FOR THE TOWN OF HAMDEN TO MAKE MAJOR REPAIRS TO ROADS SEVERELY DAMAGED BY TROPICAL STORM DEBBY

In 2024, Tropical Storm Debby Devastated Communities Across The Southern Tier & Upstate New York, Schumer Says New Federal Funding Will Help Town Upgrade Roads & Critical Infrastructure

Schumer Will Continue To Advocate For More Federal Investment To Ensure Town Has Resources Needed To Complete Project And Protect Local Taxpayers From Shouldering Crushing Costs of Storm Recovery

Schumer: Fed $$ Puts Hamden On Road To Recovery!

Following his advocacy, U.S. Senator Chuck Schumer today announced $294,773.51 for the Town of Hamden to fund major repairs following Tropical Storm Debby. For nearly two years, the Town of Hamden has worked diligently with FEMA to advance its over $5 million request for disaster assistance and mitigation funding. Schumer said this grant is a key first step towards ensuring Hamden residents have the federal assistance they need to support critical repairs to their roads and mitigation efforts to protect the community from future flooding events. Schumer vowed to continue fighting to unlock the other federal support needed to rebuild and strengthen the community's resilience.

"I'm proud to deliver nearly $300,000 in federal funding needed for the Town of Hamden to repair roads damaged by Tropical Storm Debby. This investment will help restore safe and reliable roads for residents," said Senator Schumer. "The community deserves to see these roads repaired without taxpayers having to shoulder the costs of storm recovery, and I'm proud to have helped make this first step a reality. I'll keep fighting to deliver the remaining funding the Town needs to rebuild stronger and weather the storms ahead."

Schumer explained that because of flooding during the storm, the town saw severe damage along portions of Chamber Hollows Road, East Brook Road, and many other ditches and shoulders. Schumer said this funding will help keep the Town of Hamden and local taxpayers from bearing the costs of repair projects that were necessary for protecting the town's infrastructure and local properties. These projects will address storm damage and make several improvements to enhance long-term resiliency. Work will replace existing metal pipes with properly sized concrete box culverts, along with new headwalls and wingwalls to provide additional structural support, improve drainage capacity, and meet New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) requirements. The project will also stabilize a failing roadside embankment where erosion has caused the bank to slide away from the roadway through the installation of soil nails. Additionally, the Town will restore damaged roadside ditches and shoulders in areas impacted by flooding, improving drainage, protecting roadways, and reducing the risk of future storm damage. Schumer's August letter to FEMA Administrator Cameron Hamilton supporting federal funding for these repairs and improvements can be found HERE. Schumer said he will continue to fight for more federal funding to ensure the Town has the resources it needs to complete the full project.

Schumer has been a long-standing fighter for Delaware County's efforts to combat flood damage and natural disasters. After major storms in 2006 and 2011, Schumer advocated for federal disaster declarations on behalf of flood-impacted communities, including Delaware County, that would provide federal funding to enable places like Hamden and other communities within the county to recover and rebuild. As a result, local governments and thousands of property owners were able to apply for disaster assistance following these storms. In the aftermath of the 2006 flooding, Schumer successfully secured approval from FEMA to bring in temporary housing units for displaced residents, including those in Delaware County. In 2008, Schumer secured $300,000 in the Fiscal Year 2008 Appropriations Bill funding for flood protection measures in the Village of Sidney, which included infrastructure repairs to village pump stations and flap gates. With communities like Delaware County in mind, he helped author the provision in the Federal Disaster Aid Bill in 2012 that provided $200 million in Economic Development Administration (EDA) funding to help fund key economic growth projects in counties hammered by natural disasters. Schumer then secured $3.8 million from that provision for the Delaware County IDA. This funding provided critical support to relocate Amphenol Aerospace, keeping them in the community and saving over 950 jobs. Schumer's efforts to secure disaster declarations unlocked the FEMA Hazard Mitigation Grant Program (MPMG) fund, which brought nearly $7 million to local efforts to buy out over 100 flood-damaged properties in the Lower River Street neighborhood in Sidney for flood mitigation. In 2025, Schumer demanded that FEMA immediately reverse its decision to cancel federal funding for the Sidney Culvert Project, critical for mitigating flooding in the Village of Sidney, helping save lives, and reducing the damage and costs from flooding caused by extreme weather events.

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