Congresswoman Grace Meng and Gov. Kathy Hochul visited residents in Flushing on Tuesday, Sept. 7, to offer their assistance in recovery efforts following the aftermath of last week’s record rainfall and flooding that devastated parts of the borough.
Meng and Hochul were joined by other local elected officials to talk with constituents in the area of 56th Avenue and Kissena Boulevard, who have suffered losses from the remnants of Hurricane Ida that slammed the tri-state area on Sept. 1, resulting in 13 deaths, including at least 10 victims from Queens.
Several of the victims in Queens were killed in their flooded basement apartments.
During their tour in Flushing, Meng and Hochul provided constituents with hot food and information available to help with their insurance claims.
The congresswoman thanked Hochul for visiting Flushing and for her “great leadership” she has provided since the storm occurred.
“I thank the governor for her attention to Queens during this difficult and challenging time, and I will continue working with her to help local residents recover from the devastation that they have been forced to endure,” Meng said.
Following her visits to communities impacted by flooding from Hurricane Ida, Hochul signed a request to President Biden for an expedited Major Disaster Declaration, which would deliver individual and public assistance for eligible New Yorkers recovering from the storm’s damage.
The declaration was approved by Biden, who toured a ravaged street in East Elmhurst on Tuesday, Sept. 7, with a delegation of Queens elected officials.
“You only have to walk down this street, as I have many times with our elected officials who care so deeply about the people who live here, and throughout Queens, and all the other affected communities, to know that people that we represent, who put their faith in us, are in pain right now,” Hochul said.
Both Hochul and Meng commended Biden for his swift action on supporting recovery efforts in the borough.
“As a result we have deployed teams on the ground to get immediate assistance to people, but this is a short-term solution, getting them housing, getting them shelter, getting them rental assistance, giving them money to help clean up, giving them food on the table — and that’s what President Biden has enabled us to do to help support those efforts,” Hochul said.
Additionally, Hochul has announced the launch of a new online resource hub for impacted New Yorkers, which provides information on available assistance programs and where to find services such as shelter and access to food.
The state has also partnered with New York City to support the Ida Recovery Service Centers, which enlisted the support of elected officials who represent impacted communities and offered information on all available resources and assistance.
Meng, who has surveyed the storm’s damage in her congressional district in Queens, is continuing to share vital information on her social media pages, including the NYDFS mobile command center that is assisting constituents with insurance information.
The mobile facility will be in Flushing on Wednesday, Sept. 8, at Kissena Boulevard and 56th Avenue until 5 p.m.
Helped to bring @NYDFS’ mobile command center to my district to assist constituents with insurance information. Visited the mobile facility yesterday in #Elmhurst. Today, it is in #Flushing at Kissena Boulevard and 56th Avenue until 5 p.m. pic.twitter.com/4Ui67EZd6g
— Grace Meng (@RepGraceMeng) September 8, 2021
