New York State Making $11 Million Available To Tornado Victims

July was a very busy month on the weather front. Not only did New York see record warm weather, but it also saw a record number of tornado warnings, accompanied by a record number of tornadoes.

The twisters that touched down in the Empire State wreaked havoc all over the state, from Western New York to Central New York and beyond. Hundreds of families and businesses were negatively impacted, causing millions of dollars in damage to property across New York.

While tornados hit all over the state, there were a few counties where things were especially bad.

Chautauqua, Erie, Essex, Lewis, Madison, Oneida, and Warren Counties took major damage in some areas. The New York State government is stepping in to help property owners and residents recover from the water and wind damage.

In an announcement, New York State Governor Kathy Hochul advised that up to $11 million in emergency funding would be provided to homeowners and municipalities that suffered the brunt of the damage.

After extreme weather events caused major damage across Upstate New York, we are providing rapid relief for impacted residents and municipalities...While I continue to urge the federal government to act quickly on our request for an emergency declaration, my administration remains committed to assisting affected New Yorkers so they can recover from these devastating storms.
-Kathy Hochul, Governor of New York State

Bloomberg via Getty Images

The $11 million is being allocated to different areas of the state to help manage repair and recovery efforts.

Homeowners in Chautauqua, Erie, Essex, Lewis, Madison, Oneida, and Warren Counties who suffered damage to their primary residences can apply for grants to do emergency repairs from a fund of up to $5 million. Up to $50,000 will be available to each homeowner, and New York State Homes and Community Renewal will manage those grants.

Another $4 million is being awarded to the City of Rome and Oneida County to help demolish structures that sustained heavy damage from the tornados, and another $2 million is being allocated to the Restore New York grant program.

Even though the application the state submitted for federal emergency funds hasn't been approved yet, officials are making these funds available to help New Yorkers.

If you're a homeowner who's been impacted by the tornado, you can submit your information to New York State here. Officials will notify you when the application is available.

9 Confirmed Tornados in New York All in 1 Day, So Far

It's been a brutal month for tornadoes in New York State. That's not something you think you'd hear unless you lived in the Midwest or the South.

There have been 19 twisters in July, shattering the record of 13 set in 1992. 9 of them all in one day. And that number may rise as ground surveys are continuing.

Gallery Credit: Credit - Polly McAdams