Letter to George W. Bush, President of the United States of America

June 29, 2006

President George W. Bush
The White House
1600 Pennsylvania Ave, NW
Washington, DC 20500

Dear President Bush:

Over the course of the past three days, 13 counties in upstate New York have suffered catastrophic damage as a result of record rainfall. Many of the communities that we represent are in a state of emergency as they contend with mudslides, breached dams, bridge and highway collapses, severely flooded communities, damaged water and sewer infrastructure and, tragically, the loss of lives. Businesses and farms have been destroyed, and local economies are profoundly disrupted. With additional rain in the forecast, this remains an emergent situation, as local officials expect that continued pressure on damaged dams and roadways may result in additional flooding and that disrupted water and sewer systems will result in threats to the public health.

Given the sheer scope of the devastation caused by these floods, we respectfully request the immediate assistance of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) in the counties of Broome, Chenango, Cortland, Delaware, Herkimer, Montgomery, Oneida, Orange, Otsego, Schoharie, Sullivan, Tioga and Ulster, and any additional counties that may be designated as disaster areas by the Governor. The assistance of FEMA and other federal agencies is urgently needed to prevent further infrastructure damage, ensure public health and safety, restore public utilities and transportation systems, and recover from tremendous public and private property damage. Because most of New York City's reservoirs are located in the affected areas, there is also a serious threat to the city's public water supply.

We urge your immediate attention to Governor George Pataki's request for a Major Disaster Declaration and hope that you will quickly mobilize an aggressive response to this situation, including the dispatch of sufficient emergency workers to quickly assess the damage and the establishment of emergency assistance centers throughout the region. Your declaration and swift action will enable residents and local municipalities to begin the process of repairing and rebuilding.

We thank you in advance for your assistance to our impacted communities as they struggle to deal with the serious flooding and resulting damage.

Sincerely,

Maurice Hinchey Charles Schumer Hillary Rodham Clinton Sherwood Boehlert

Sue Kelly Randy Kuhl John McHugh Michael McNulty John Sweeney

http://www.house.gov/list/press/ny22_hinchey/morenews/062906bushfloodletter.html