New York Municipalities Receive $615,000 in in Lake Ontario Flood Relief Funds

New York Governor Andrew M. Cuomo today announced the Town of Newfane and the Village of Barker in Niagara County have been awarded $615,083 in Lake Ontario Flood Relief funds to support restoration resiliency efforts following last year’s flooding and to protect the community from the damage of future storms.

“Niagara County experienced historic and severe flooding along the shores of Lake Ontario last year, and New York will continue to lend a hand to those families who are still recovering,” Governor Cuomo said. “We will continue to provide real relief to those affected by storms, as this funding will to help build Newfane and Barker back stronger and smarter than ever before.”

The Town of Newfane has been awarded $65,693 in Lake Ontario Flood Relief Program funds to reimburse the municipality for necessary emergency expenses incurred as a result of the Lake Ontario flood event. These included funds for the use of equipment to pump overburdened storm drains, the cleaning of storm water drainage lines and culverts and the purchase of sand bags delivered to residents in the commercial and residential areas surrounding the town’s Olcott Harbor. Overtime costs for emergency personnel is also included.

Newfane, which has a population of nearly 9,450 residents, also has been awarded $500,000 to produce a feasibility study and construction plan related to future flood mitigation for Olcott Harbor, the only deep-water port along the southern shore of Lake Ontario between the Niagara River and city of Rochester. Both Olcott Harbor and Newfane experienced substantial flooding, erosion, shoreline and structural damage in the summer of 2017’s Lake Ontario flooding.

The Village of Barker has been awarded $49,390 in flood relief and recovery funds to construct a 190-foot break wall in the village’s Bi-Centennial park, which experienced significant erosion and damage because of the 2017 Lake Ontario flood event.  Due to the persistent high water levels of Lake Ontario, the park’s coastline has greatly eroded, leading to a loss of between 18 to 24 inches of shoreline. Village drain pipes and tree roots have been exposed by this erosion. Funding will enable the village to both make repairs to the shoreline and to prevent a similar situation from reoccurring along the coastline.

“Having walked through flooded communities seeing the destruction firsthand, and meeting with countless business owners and home owners, I know the devastating impact the Lake Ontario flooding had on people in Niagara County,” said Lieutenant Governor Kathy Hochul. “They have been through very difficult times in the past year, and we’ve stood by their side during the ongoing recovery. Our commitment continues with this latest funding to build resiliency and invest in critically important infrastructure improvements for the future.”

Following the flooding of both Lake Ontario and the St. Lawrence Seaway, which damaged homes, businesses, and local infrastructure, Gov. Cuomo and the Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Services coordinated with county and local partners to monitor water levels and deliver resources, including millions of sandbags and the construction of thousands of feet of temporary dams. An initial $45 million commitment to provide aid to residents, small businesses, and municipalities affected by the flood was supplemented with two $5 million grants from the State and Municipal Facilities Program to bolster previous relief and provide necessary financial assistance to recovery efforts.

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