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Ulster County is organizing a free Flood Disaster Assistance Workshop for municipal leaders on Thursday, February 20, in Kingston. The event, hosted by the Ulster County Departments of Emergency Services and Environment, aims to equip local officials with the necessary knowledge and resources for effective flood disaster response and recovery.
The workshop will cover essential topics such as post-flood damage assessments, economic triggers for disaster declarations, and administrative guidance for disaster recovery reimbursement programs. Attendees will also learn about federal, state, and local assistance available to municipalities and communities following significant flood events.
A key feature of the workshop is an extended question and answer session, allowing participants to engage directly with representatives from agencies involved in disaster relief, including the New York State Department of Homeland Security and Emergency Services and the Ulster County Department of Emergency Services.
Ulster County Emergency Manager Michael Madison emphasized the importance of preparedness, stating, "When a community is prepared for a disaster, chaos turns into coordination and resilience replaces fear." Madison will share his insights from past disaster response and recovery efforts, including experiences with Hurricane Helene in western North Carolina.
The workshop is a condensed version of a two-day flood response and recovery training held in October 2023, funded by the New York City Department of Environmental Protection. This initiative marks the beginning of a planned series of trainings focused on stream and floodplain management and flood response and recovery.
Municipal leaders, administrators, stream managers, and emergency managers interested in attending can contact Tim Koch at tk545@cornell.edu for more information.