Gillibrand, Schumer Urge Trump To Approve Major Disaster Declaration For New York State For February Blizzard

Gillibrand, Schumer Urge Trump To Approve Major Disaster Declaration For New York State For February Blizzard

Apr 16, 2026

Today, U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) and Senator Charles Schumer (D-NY) called on President Trump to approve Governor Kathy Hochul's Major Disaster Declaration request in response to the February blizzard that brought record snowfall, high wind speeds, and coastal flooding to New York. The governor recently made the request for Public Assistance for Queens, Nassau, and Suffolk Counties, along with Snow Assistance for Bronx, Kings, Nassau, New York, Queens, Richmond, Suffolk, and Westchester Counties, and Hazard Mitigation for the entire state. Tragically, the blizzard resulted in the death of five people across the state of New York.

In the senators' letter to President Trump, they wrote, "The blizzard created whiteout conditions, coastal flooding, travel disruptions, and power outages for over 40,000 households. More than 175 school districts on Long Island and in the Hudson Valley were closed on February 23^rd."

The senators highlighted that many local and state resources were required to deploy equipment and personnel during these hazardous conditions to assist with necessary snow removal to protect the public and save lives. Due to the severity of this blizzard, which was compounded by the effects of Winter Storm Fern a few weeks before, the senators asserted that "New York and its municipalities are not able to fully rebuild and recover without federal resources."

Governor Hochul's Major Disaster Declaration request under the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act would authorize Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) aid to help New Yorkers recover and rebuild.

The senators are further calling on congressional Republicans to restart the flow of funding to FEMA by taking up the bipartisan funding bill the Senate passed unanimously in March. Since then, House Republicans have refused to hold a vote on the bill and fund FEMA disaster recovery assistance.

The full letter can be read HERE.

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