Albany, N.Y. (WBEN) - New York Governor Kathy Hochul has submitted a request to President Biden for a Major Disaster Declaration to support communities impacted by the December blizzard.
The deadly blizzard tapped the resources of Erie County, the City of Buffalo and a number of municipal governments that led snow removal and rescue operations during the monumental story.
"This declaration would unlock additional federal funds to support our ongoing efforts to help New Yorkers recover from this devastating storm," Hochul wrote in a tweet Friday.
The tweet to the President from Hochul was quickly followed-up by one from Mayor Byron brown, stating, "I urge @POTUS to quickly approve the declaration and grant the City of Buffalo critical funding for recovery and rebuilding after this once in a generation storm."
Separately, in a joint letter to the President, Rep. Nick Langworthy and Rep. Brian Higgins are both asking FEMA to recognize Winter Storm Elliott as a snowstorm of record and support granting New York State a Major Disaster Declaration that includes snow assistance.
Sustained blizzard conditions starting on December 23, 2022, battered Western New York for over 37 hours, making this storm the longest-lasting blizzard in New York state history and the longest blizzard in the continental United States below 5,000 ft of elevation. As a result, the record-breaking storm claimed the lives of more than 40 people.
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