Buffalo lawmakers have joined a chorus of government officials who are calling on the federal government to change its rules for reimbursing local governments for snowstorm recovery.
Common Council members say the city and other municipalities that endure snow emergencies deserve to have them viewed by the federal government in the same light as other weather disasters that happen in other parts of the country.
Municipalities can receive aid from the Federal Emergency Management Agency for hurricanes, tornadoes and flooding.
The group unanimously adopted a resolution on Tuesday asking FEMA to amend its rules on providing emergency funding to municipalities that experience severe snow emergencies.
The resolution aims to rectify the existing imbalance in FEMA assistance, advocating for equitable treatment of snow emergencies to safeguard the well-being of Buffalo residents and support the city’s swift recovery in the face of severe weather challenges, said Council President Christopher P. Scanlon in a written statement.
“Buffalo and other municipalities facing severe snow emergencies deserve equitable treatment from FEMA,” said Scanlon, who introduced the resolution. “Our community’s safety and recovery efforts should not be compromised due to disparities in federal assistance eligibility. It’s imperative that FEMA revises its guidelines to provide fair and comprehensive support to regions enduring snow emergencies.”
Over the last 15 months, the city has faced multiple snow emergencies that have confined residents to their homes, kept businesses closed, inflicted millions of dollars in cost and taken the lives of dozens of people, the resolution read.
Snow emergencies are met with more restrictive rules and regulations under Federal Emergency Management Administration guidelines. As a result, they are less likely to qualify and receive federal emergency assistance, according to the document.
Because of the restrictiveness of…
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