Hurricane Sandy Info - Orange County

HURRICANE SANDY INFORMATION 

Donations Donate Funds Online or by Check Food Pantries in Need of Food Corporate Donation Opportunities Drop-Off Sites   Updates & Alerts Gas Shortage Update Health Alerts Mental Health Power Outage Updates Road Closures / Transportation   Shelter Assistance Find a Shelter Near You  Shelters that Allow Pets Transitional Shelter Program (FEMA)

Food/Water Assistance Food Pantries  Soup Kitchens Disaster Food Stamps (D-SNAP) Food Stamp Replacement Due to Storm Dry Ice and Water Distribution Sites Food Safety   Financial Assistance Individual Assistance FEMA Disaster Recovery Centers Disaster Unemployment Assistance Deadline Extensions   Storm Clean-Up

 

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DONATIONS

No information at this time.

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Mental Health
Storm-Related Counseling: A toll-free help line is available, 1-800-LIFENET (543-3638), to provide confidential, 24 hour/day, information and referral by professionally staffed individuals in English, Spanish, Chinese, Korean and TTY for the hearing impaired.

 

Gas Shortage Update
Gas stations in the area are now back to normal service.

• ORANGE & ROCKLAND (O&R) 1-877-434-4100 Electric / 1-800-533-5325 Gas or Website: http://www.oru.com
• CENTRAL HUDSON 1-800-527-2714 Electric / Gas or 1-845-452-2700 Electric / Gas or Website: http://www.centralhudson.com/
• NYSEG 1-800-572-1131 Electric / 1-800-572-1121 Gas or Website: http://nyseg.com/

All roads are now passable. 

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-Use of our facility showers
-Assistance from Y staff to help find available resources for specific needs
-Wi-fi service to connect with family and friends

To find the shelter closest to you that is open, please download the Red Cross Hurricane App or visit:http://www.redcross.org/nss.

• Bedding for each member of the family 
• Diapers and formula for children
• Prescription medicines
• Toiletries
• Food for special dietary needs

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Food Stamp Replacement Due to Storm

If you lost food purchased with SNAP benefits due to Hurricane Sandy, there is help available. Current SNAP households that have lost food purchased with their benefits as a result of the storm are entitled to replacement benefits. The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has agreed to provide current SNAP recipients in disaster designated areas with 50%percent of their October monthly benefit amount. Contact your local department of social services or visit website: http://otda.ny.gov/workingfamilies/dss.asp\ or call 1-800-342-3009.
Click Here for frequently asked questions.  Please note that Food Stamp (SNAP) recipients will be able to continue using their Replacement SNAP EBT card and SNAP benefits to purchase hot foods and prepared food items at authorized SNAP retailers through January 31, 2013.

Distributions of dry ice and water have been discontinued.
 

The Department of Health cautions residents to follow certain steps to determine if food is safe during and following a weather emergency.

• Never taste food to determine its safety.
• Keep the refrigerator and freezer doors closed to maintain the cold temperature.
  
• Generally a refrigerator will keep food safely cold for approximately 4 hours; a freezer for about 24 hours.
  
• Food may be safely refrozen if it still contains ice crystals or is at 40 degrees Fahrenheit or below.
  
• Discard refrigerated perishable food such as meat, poultry, fish, soft cheeses, milk, eggs, leftovers and deli items after 4 hours without power.
• When in doubt, throw it out.  

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A federal disaster declaration now offers Individual Assistance to residents of Orange County.

FEMA Individual Assistance (IA)
IA is disaster assistance directed to families, individuals, and businesses within a disaster area. Applications can be submitted by calling 1-800-621-FEMA (3362), or filing on-line by logging onto www.disasterassistance.gov. Hearing impaired individuals can call a TTY line at 1-800-462-7585.  Deadline to register is January 28, 2013.

A helpline to aid residents and business on how to apply for financial help after the storm.
HURRICANE SANDY HELPLINE 1-855-697-7263 or check website: www.dhses.ny.gov

Federal disaster unemployment assistance is now available to all New Yorkers who lost their jobs as a result of Hurricane Sandy. Disaster unemployment benefits are available to provide financial support to anyone who has lost their job and live or work in the Bronx, Kings, New York, Richmond, Queens, Nassau, Suffolk, Rockland and Westchester counties. To apply for unemployment benefits or disaster unemployment assistance, those affected by the storm and have lost their job or income should call the Department of Labor’s Telephone Claims Center (TCC) at 1-888-209-8124 by December 3, 2012. 

Claimant Extension Date 

Because of the loss of power and phone service in the storm impacted areas, many Unemployment Insurance claimants were unable to certify for their weekly benefits. The Department of Labor will extend the date of certification of unemployment benefits for individuals impacted by Hurricane Sandy from November 3, 2012 to November 10, 2012. These individuals will need to call 1-888-209-8124 and speak to an agent to receive benefits for the prior week. If you are unable to access a phone to obtain benefits, individuals can visit any of the agency’s career centers.
http://www.governor.ny.gov

 

Deadline Extensions

Medicare Deadline Extended for Seniors Affected by Hurricane Sandy
Medicare beneficiaries who have been affected by this disaster and wants to ensure that all beneficiaries are able to compare their options and make enrollment choices for 2013. CMS encourages all beneficiaries to make their enrollment choices by December 7. This will ensure that their enrollment in health and prescription drug coverage is in place for January 1, 2013. Please share this message with your network.

Individuals affected by Hurricane Sandy who are unable to make a plan selection by December 7 can still enroll in health and prescription drug coverage for 2013 by calling 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227) anytime, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. TTY users should call 1-877-486-2048. Representatives at 1-800 MEDICARE have information available to help beneficiaries review their plan options and make a choice, and can complete an enrollment even after December 7.

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Sanitation / Recycling Information

Orange County Department of Public Works, Division of Environmental Facilities and Services (EF&S) has waived the fees to aid communities in the cleanup of storm debris.

• There will be no charge for disposal of storm debris (scrap metal, mixed debris, and wood products) through Saturday, November 10.
• All transfer stations will accept flood related scrap metal and only Orange County Transfer Station #1 (Goshen) will accept wood debris.
  
• Disaster debris may be brought to the transfer stations by municipal vehicles, contracted vendors of municipalities, and private vehicles.
  
• Disaster debris MUST be separated into various types of waste – metals and appliances such as water heaters, furnaces, refrigerators, washing machines, dryers, dish washers and like items and mixed debris such as carpets, rugs, bedding, decorations, clothing and wood furniture and like items.
  
• Wood products – including trees, branches, pallets, and unadulterated lumber may be brought to Wessels’ Farms located at 94 Bull Road, Otisville, NY 10963 for no charge. Please contact Mike Wessels at (845) 386-5681, http://wesselsfarms.net
  

Please Note: The fees for disposal of regular household garbage are not waived by Orange County.
For more information, call 845-291-2640, or Check website: www.orangecountygov.com

 

Click Here for Clean-up Information

 

Spill Reporting: To report an oil or chemical spill, such as from a home oil furnace damaged by flooding, call the NYS Spill Hotline at 1-800-457-7362. For more information on General Permits, please visit:http://www.dec.ny.gov/public/76659.html

• Debris Removal / Roadway Clearing
  
• Buildings/Grounds Cleanup
• Other projects as required