Update: Thursday, 7:25 p.m.
Federal Disaster Aid Available for Nassau County
County Executive Ed Mangano has announced federal disaster aid has been made available to Nassau County through the U.S. Department of Homeland Security's Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). This aid will supplement state and local recovery efforts in areas affected by Hurricane Sandy beginning on Oct. 27 and continuing.
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.
Federal funding is also available on a cost-sharing basis for hazard mitigation measures statewide.
Residents and business owners who sustained losses in the designated county can begin applying for assistance starting tomorrow by registering online at http://www.disasterassistance.gov, by web enabled mobile device at m.fema.gov or by calling 1-800-621-FEMA(3362) or 1-800-462-7585 (TTY) for the hearing and speech impaired.
The toll-free telephone numbers will operate from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. EDT seven days a week until further notice.
Applicants registering for aid should be prepared to provide basic information about themselves (name, permanent address, phone number), insurance coverage and any other information to help substantiate losses.
County Announces Opening of Tree Debris Sites in Wake of Hurricane
Mangano announced Thursday the opening of two sites for the disposal of tree debris caused by Hurricane Sandy. The sites are for residents and other municipalities only. The two sites are as follows:
- The Nassau County Department of Public Works at 170 Cantiague Rock Road in Hicksville.
- The Nassau County Department of Public Works at 467 Baldwin Roa in Hempstead.
“Residents who have removed fallen trees can bring the material to one of these locations for proper disposal,” Mangano said.
The locations will be marked by visible signage. For more information please call the Nassau County DPW at 516-571-6900.
NICE Bus Service at 95 Percent, Not Collecting Fares
The NICE bus system begun restoring routes on Tuesday afternoon and as of Thursday morning is at 95 percent of service capacity, according to a press release.
Routes are operating on a regular weekday schedule, and NICE bus and Able-Ride will not be collecting fares for Wednesday, Thursday or Friday.
The following routes will not operate this afternoon or tomorrow or will operate an adjusted route:N21, N23, N25, N27, N33, N48, N57, N62, N73, N74, N79. The following routes will be adjusted due to road conditions:
- N15 will operate Roosevelt Field to Island Park LIRR, and there are other detours along the route.
- N19 will operate Freeport to Sunrise Mall (no Suffolk service).
- N58 will operate Great Neck LIRR to Merchant Marine Academy.
"NICE bus and Able-Ride will continue to assess the situation and are working with local officials to return to 100 percent of service as quickly as possible," the company said in a release. "These issues will impact bus schedules and may require detours. Please plan accordingly."
A frequently updated list of open routes and or detours is available by visiting NICEBUS.com or on Facebook at thenicebus.
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