13WHAM Hurricane Sandy

New: Superstars for Sandy Relief

Mon, 25 Mar 2013 09:13:29 -0400

NEW YORK (AP) - WWE is joining with New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg, New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, Hollywood celebrities and professional athletes to launch Superstars for Sandy Relief.

Fans can bid on hundreds of items in an online auction, including attending a NASCAR race with WWE superstar John Cena. The auction begins Monday and closes April 9.

Paul Levesque, executive vice president of talent and live events, says he can't think of a better way to celebrate WWE's annual WrestleMania event than using the group's global reach to assist those in need.

Wrestlemania will be held April 7 at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, N.J.

There will also be a Superstars for Sandy Relief reception at Cipriani Wall Street in New York City on April 4, hosted by Sean "Diddy" Combs.

Senate To Vote On Sandy Aid Bill Monday

Sun, 27 Jan 2013 15:10:58 -0400

Washington, D.C. - The Senate is expected to vote Monday on a Superstorm Sandy aid bill.

If passed, the bill would sent $50 billion in relief aid to victims of the storm.

New York Sen. Charles Schumer says the Sandy federal aid bill provides for more than $1 billion for projects to shield the coast in the future.

Schumer said Sunday that Army Corps of Engineer projects also include a $20 million study of New York harbor and repairs to navigation channels and ports.

The house has already passed the legislation and President Barack Obama says he will sign it.

It includes $5.4 billion in appropriations for emergency and long-term projects.

On the coast that stretches from New York City to Long Island, projects would fortify roads, rebuild beaches and raise houses.

The harbor would be dredged to make sure it stays navigable in a storm.

The storm is being blamed for at least 140 deaths and billions of dollars in damage.

House Approves $9.7 Billion in Sandy Flood Aid

Fri, 04 Jan 2013 13:58:39 -0400

Washington, D.C. (AP) - The House has overwhelmingly approved $9.7 billion to pay flood insurance claims for the many homes and business owners flooded out by Superstorm Sandy. The vote came more than two months after the storm hit and days after Northeast Republicans erupted over House Speaker John Boehner's decision to delay an earlier vote.

Friday's 354-67 vote sends the bill to the Senate, which expects to pass the bill later in the day. All of the no votes were cast by Republicans.

The bill gives more borrowing authority to the National Flood Insurance Program to pay about 115,000 pending claims.

Northeast lawmakers say the money is urgently needed for victims of one of the worst storms ever to strike the region. Boehner set Friday's vote after sparking controversy with a decision to delay House action on a broader Sandy aid package.

Cuomo To House On Sandy Aid: 'Show Me The Money'

Thu, 03 Jan 2013 20:26:00 -0400

ALBANY, N.Y. (AP) - A still angry Gov. Andrew Cuomo isn't ready to believe the Republican House leadership will finally vote on Sandy relief aid. Instead, he's telling them: "Show me the money."

The Democratic New York governor isn't taking back his criticism Wednesday of Republican majority leaders who promised several times to vote on aid for Sandy victims, but abruptly postponed any action.

Cuomo says the lack of a vote on the package worth billions of dollars to victims and local governments remains an "outstanding failure."

He says Thursday that, in a way, the Republican leaders violated their oath of office.

The House now plans to approve a $9 billion flood insurance proposal to help pay claims by residents and businesses.

The Senate has already passed a $60.4 billion aid package.

(Copyright 2013 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)

Get The 13WHAM Weather App For iPhone, iPad And Android

Tue, 18 Dec 2012 14:40:14 -0400

GET THE APP: search "13WHAM" in the app/play store

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Any season, any storm, the latest weather is at your fingertips with 13WHAM's Weather app.

Cuomo Pleased With Sandy Aid

Sat, 08 Dec 2012 00:27:38 -0400

WASHINGTON (AP) - Congressional aides say President Barack Obama is asking Congress to approve $60.4 billion in federal aid for New York, New Jersey and other states hit by Super Storm Sandy in late October.

The formal paperwork is expected to be sent to Congress later today or early next week.

The aides requested anonymity, saying they were not authorized to disclose the request. Congressman Pete King, a New York Republican, said he expected the request to come in at the level described by aides, but hadn't received official word. He said he is pleased with the total.

He also said he spoke recently with New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, and described him as pleased, as well.

(Copyright 2012 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)

Sandy Victims Get More Local Volunteer Help

Wed, 05 Dec 2012 07:07:09 -0400

Rochester/Finger Lakes, N.Y. - More Red Cross volunteers from our area are heading south to help areas hit by Superstorm Sandy.

Three more volunteers leave Wednesday morning to help serve food and coordinate transportation.

Eighty volunteers were sent down from the Finger Lakes Region Red Cross.

Cuomo Heads To Washington Monday

Sat, 01 Dec 2012 00:25:12 -0400

ALBANY, N.Y. (AP) - An official in New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo's (KWOH'-mohz) administration says the governor is headed to Washington on Monday to make his pitch for about $42 billion in federal aid to help the state recover from Superstorm Sandy.

The official spoke to The Associated Press on the condition of anonymity Friday because Cuomo's official schedule hadn't been released.

Cuomo is asking for more than $32 billion from President Barack Obama's administration and Congress for repairs and to cover the immediate costs triggered by Sandy. The superstorm hit New York City, Long Island and the Hudson Valley in late October.

Cuomo also wants $9 billion for preventive measures to better protect the area for the next big storm.

New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg was in Washington on Wednesday to request $19 billion of the total for his city.

(Copyright 2012 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)

NY Attorney General To Charities: Disclose Storm Aid

Tue, 27 Nov 2012 15:20:43 -0400

Albany, N.Y. (AP) - New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman has sent letters to 72 nonprofits asking them to disclose their fundraising and relief efforts for Superstorm Sandy victims.

His Charities Bureau plans to compile the information and report it online in an effort to improve transparency and donor confidence.

Schneiderman says Tuesday that in light of "the enormous amount of money raised" and the importance of recovery work, they need to ensure resources are used properly.

The letters request email responses by Dec. 11 detailing amounts raised and spent so far and whether donations will be used solely for storm relief. They also request information about services provided to victims, funds forwarded to other organizations and plans for any surplus.

The nonprofits range from the American Red Cross to We Care NYC.

No Power for Days/Weeks But Bill is the Same?

Tue, 27 Nov 2012 12:42:08 -0400

New York (CNN) -- The Long Island Power Authority is assuring outraged customers that their latest electric bills with normal monthly charges are no mistake, despite some being in the dark for days or weeks after Superstorm Sandy.

Customers are being billed are "based on the estimated reading of (their) energy use from the same month the year before," LIPA spokesperson Elizabeth Flagler said Monday.

"(The) next actual meter reading will reflect the amount of electricity (customers) have used since (their) previous actual meter reading, and it will automatically adjust ... charges," she told CNN.

LIPA customers are questioning why their electricity bills post-Sandy reflect a full month's use of electricity, and don't account for the days that customers were without power.

LIPA customer Jonathan Saporta complained about receiving three full electricity bills for his various properties on Long Island.

"Even if they said they would rectify it -- go out and do real readings -- don't go taking more money out of our pocket when we already lost so much," Saporta told CNN on Monday.

Saporta received bills that have him fuming. The first was a bill for the Long Beach home he had moved out of on October 1, after alerting LIPA he was moving and before Sandy hit, in the amount of $649. That, he said, is double what he usually pays for the home, which sat in the dark most of the month.

Saporta also received a $281 bill for his new Great Neck home, despite being 14 days in the dark for the billing month.

And he received a $1,700 bill for his storm-ravaged Long Beach restaurant, Jake's Wayback Burger, which Saporta said was totaled in Sandy, and hasn't been reopened since before the storm.

"At this point, with a major disaster, with so many people losing so much of their livelihood, they can't go around to do estimated billing and hold all that money," he said.

Flagler said there are two ways for customers to help themselves.

First, she advised customers to do the digital meter readings themselves and call it in to customer service to get a new bill that will be regenerated in two weeks. She did mention, however, that conducting the reading was difficult and that there is an educational video on LIPA's website to address how to do it.

Second, customers can pay what they think is appropriate and then wait for the exact reading to pay the difference, she said.

Saporta said Monday he was having trouble getting in contact with LIPA, period.

"I can't even get them to acknowledge my existence on Earth rather than address what is what," he said.

"Until I get some sort of clarification on what is owed and what is going to be done, I am going to continue ignoring them," Saporta said.

LIPA has been widely criticized for its communication with customers in weeks after Sandy. In the midst of complaints LIPA's Chief Operating Officer Michael Hervey resigned earlier this month and Bruce Germano, the vice president of customer service, announced Monday that he will leave the utility at the end of the year. X. Cristofer Damianos, who served on the LIPA board, also stepped down, LIPA spokeswoman Elizabeth Flagler said.

Flagler said the estimated billing this month was a direct response to Sandy, and not the way LIPA typical bills.

"All LIPA and national grid employees were reassigned to support elsewhere in efforts to restore power. That's why the bills have been estimated," she said.

"It's not the first time bills have been estimated. They were estimated last year after (Hurricane) Irene," Flagler added.

"This is a pretty much what I believe all utilities do in the event of natural disasters and storms."

Flagler says LIPA is holding bills for those affected by flood, like those in the Rockaways area of Queens.

And she said for this month all late payments will be waived.

Meanwhile, as the cleanup continues from Sandy, officials in New York City put residential owners and landlords on notice that they must make "necessary repairs to provide electricity, heat and hot water to their tenants."

Mayor Michael Bloomberg and Department of Housing Preservation and Development Commissioner Mathew M. Wambua said building owners who need assistance can sign up for the NYC Rapid Repairs program.

"As temperatures continue to drop, endangering the health and safety of the tenants in storm damaged buildings, these essential services must be restored as quickly as possible," a statement from Bloomberg said Monday.

"Owners who fail to promptly correct hazardous conditions themselves or do not sign up with NYC Rapid Repairs to restore essential services to their buildings will be subject to the commencement of enforcement proceedings."