Command center returns to Orleans on Thursday with DEC staff
Lake Ontario Flood Assistance Hotline available at 866-244-3839
The Emergency Response Mobile Command Center is returning to Orleans County on Thursday and this time will include staff to help property owners with emergency permits for breakwalls and shoreline protection.
The command center has thus far included officials from the Department of Financial Services, who were there to help property owners file insurance claims. Additional staff from the Department of Environmental Conservation, and Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Services will be at the command center on Thursday from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. at the Orleans County Marine Park on Route 98 in Point Breeze.
DEC officials will provide on-site permitting and work with property owners to address erosion, offer technical guidance and provide on-site emergency permitting to residents. This DEC assistance will augment the insurance help already being provided by the Department of Financial Services insurance help available to residents affected by the flooding.
“The state will continue to take aggressive action to mitigate damage from floodwaters and help impacted communities,” Governor Andrew Cuomo said in a news release. “By deploying DEC officials to the state’s Emergency Response Mobile Command Centers, we will continue to support residents in the affected communities by cutting red tape as they make necessary repairs and assisting with guidance throughout the insurance claims process.”
At the Mobile Command Centers, DEC staff will help answer questions on the Storm Recovery General Permit, describe the specific types of repair and stabilization work authorized, and provide assistance in completing the application form. In certain instances, based on the available information provided by applicants, DEC will provide permits on-site or expedite further review and field visits necessary to issue permits.
To obtain the required authorization under this General Permit, residents should come prepared by reading the General Permit and Application Instructions; determine whether or not the proposed work is within the scope of the General Permit; fill out the Application for General Permit GP-0-17-006 and provide drawings, plans, photos (if available) and a location map.
As part of the Lake Ontario Rapid Response Team, DEC has also deployed a team of experienced coastal engineers to Lake Ontario to meet with property owners, conduct site visits and offer technical assistance. DEC’s engineers stand ready to work with property owners so that protective structures can be repaired and homeowners can take appropriate actions expeditiously.
