State Allocates $3M To West Islip For Storm Mitigation

West Islip will be receiving more than $3 million in state funding to help parts of the community that were hardest hit by recent natural disasters including Hurricane Sandy.

The funds are part of the New York Rising Community Reconstruction Program, an initiative launched following the major weather events including hurricanes Irene and Sandy that caused billions in damage across Long Island and other parts of the state.

According to Gov. Andrew Cuomo, the funding will empower communities hit hard to create and implement locally created federally funded strategies for rebuilding and strengthening local communities against future extreme weather.

"This program recognizes that New York’s effort to build back better must be a two pronged approach with the state not only leading critical infrastructure and broad investment strategies but also providing localities the resources they need to invest in their own future,” Cuomo said. “When we are done, we will have risen to the challenge of making our great state not only more resistant to future storms, but stronger, more prosperous, and more prepared for years to come.”

The program will assist 102 severely damaged New York Rising Communities to develop comprehensive and innovative rebuilding plans. The plans will be driven by the needs of each community and developed by regional planning committees of community leaders, experts and officials.

Grant amounts will be based on FEMA assessed damage levels as well as applications for new infrastructure and other mitigation, and will be awarded once the community’s plan is complete and submitted to the State for approval.

According to information from Cuomo’s office, $3,089,547 has been earmarked for West Islip. How those funds are used, and who makes the decision, was not immediately known.