SUFFOLK COUNTY, N.Y. (WABC) — Help may soon be on the way for Long Island communities and homeowners devastated by last weekend’s storm’s record rainfall.

New York State Governor Kathy Hochul signed an executive order on Friday declaring a state of disaster emergency for Suffolk County.

The severe storm event caused severe flooding of homes, businesses and establishments, damaged roads and led to the failure of two local dams.

Hochul also announced that she will submit a request to President Joe Biden to declare a federal emergency to support response and recovery efforts in the county.

The federal emergency declaration would allow FEMA to reimburse operating costs such as debris removal, shelter provision, evacuations, search and rescue operations, and storm hazard mitigation efforts for critical infrastructure.

“We are working around the clock to ensure that affected residents and communities can rebuild after this devastating flood event,” Hochul said. “Protecting New Yorkers is my top priority and I will support Long Island throughout the rebuilding process.”

The governor also announced emergency assistance for homeowners in flash flood-affected Suffolk and Nassau counties. New York Homes and Community Renewal (HCR) is launching an emergency repair program under which homeowners may receive grants of up to $50,000 for health and safety-related repairs not covered by insurance or other disaster assistance programs.

Officials estimate that over 2,000 residents and business owners were affected by some form of flood damage. Stony Brook University had to relocate and house hundreds of students and cancel move-in day entirely due to the extent of the damage across campus.

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Department of Financial Services personnel will be deployed to affected communities to provide insurance assistance to residents and businesses.

They will be deployed in the following communities:

For additional assistance with insurance questions, call the Department’s disaster hotline at 800-339-1759. From August 12 through August 30, the hotline will now be open in the evenings and will be available weekdays from 8:30 a.m. to 8 p.m. to assist New Yorkers.

For information about flood insurance, call FEMA’s National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) at (800) 621-3362 or visit www.floodsmart.gov.

Additional resources can be found below:

For more information about flood insurance, visit the Flood Insurance Resource Center on the DFS website.

Keep your receipts if you move while repairs are being made If you have to move temporarily while your home is being repaired, be sure to keep receipts and other evidence of your expenses during that time.

Filing Complaints – Homeowners who are unable to resolve disputes with their insurers may contact DFS to file a complaint at the following website. DFS investigates all complaints received.

Homeowners Insurance Information – For more information, visit the Homeowners Resource Center on the Department of Financial Services website.

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