Rep. Maloney offers useful links for Sandy disaster information

WASHINGTON, DC – Rep. Carolyn Maloney (D-NY) offered the following information to New Yorkers on the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy’s attack on New York City:

“New York took an enormous hit Monday from Hurricane Sandy,” Maloney said. “The combination of wind and flooding caused the largest storm-related outage in Con Ed history and the most devastating disaster in the 108 history of the New York subway system.

“Recovery efforts are now underway but it is going to take a significant period of time to repair this much damage. Below are resources that I hope you will find helpful in managing your own recovery efforts. I and my staff will spare no effort in providing you with help and assistance,” Maloney concluded.

Federal disaster aid is available for individuals and businesses.  Assistance can include grants for temporary housing and home repairs, low-cost loans to cover uninsured property losses, and other programs to help individuals and business owners recover from the effects of the disaster. To apply for federal assistance, go to: http://www.disasterassistance.gov/ or you can call 1-800-621-FEMA (3362) for more information.

Transportation: The governor announced partial restoration of bus service at 5 p.m. today (10/30). Buses will operate on Sunday schedule, and on a fare-free basis. A normal schedule is expected for Wednesday; rides will continue to be fare-free. For up-to-date transportation information go to: www.mta.info/nyct/ or call 511.

Electricity: As of this morning, Con Edison reported over 400,000 customers without electrical power in Manhattan, Queens and Brooklyn due to Hurricane Sandy.  Low-lying areas of New York City are currently under water. Power in the New York City area will most likely stay off for several more days to ensure that power is returned carefully and efficiently.  

To report power outages, downed power lines or trees, or to check on the status of electric power restoration: Con Edison customers can go to www.conEd.com or call 1-800-75-CONED (1-800-752-6633).  When reporting an outage, it is helpful if customers have their Con Edison account number available, if possible, and report whether their neighbors also have lost power. Customers who report outages will be called by Con Edison with their estimated restoration times as they become available. But please be patient. Con Edison is experiencing a huge volume of calls

School closings: New York City Schools will remain closed into Wednesday, October 30th. For the latest on school closings go to www.nbcnewyork.com/weather/school-closings/

Hospitals and Health Care Facilities: The Bellevue Hospital Emergency Room is currently open. New York Downtown and Manhattan VA Hospital were both evacuated before the storm. New York University Medical Center is continuing to evacuate the facility.  Coney Island Hospital has begun evacuations. The Mayor’s office is coordinating with 53 other healthcare facilities that are sheltering-in-place about water levels, staffing, and structural issues.

Heat and Hot Water Problems should be directed to: http://www.nyc.gov/html/hpd/html/tenants/heat-and-hot-water.shtml

Shelters: The 76 New York City area shelters will remain open today and will continue to stay open until those displaced by the storm can return home or find alternative housing.