Resource Guide for Businesses Impacted by Hurricane Sandy

Hurricane Sandy

This guide is meant to provide businesses with the information pertinent to their needs in making sure they get through this event as smoothly as possible.  Included is information on how to get the latest information on the storm recovery events, find helpful government programs and how to contribute to worthy causes focused on helping the victims of the storm.

We hope you find it helpful and encourage you to reach out to us if you have any questions or would like additional information.

Download a pdf of this guide.

I.                 General Information

For general information and the latest updates on the storm recovery efforts, we encourage you to visit the Governor Cuomo’s web site at www.governor.ny.gov or the City of New York’s web site at www.nyc.gov and its Extreme Weather web site at www.nyc.gov/html/oem/html/nycsevereweather/weather_home.shtml.

II.              Specific Information

Below are links to specific information relative to government efforts on the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy.  Please visit the links to get to the web sites containing the relevant information.  311 can also be a helpful resource and we encourage you to contact the City through 311 for answers to specific questions and to find help.

Finally, for specific location information, you should reach out to your local elected officials and, if pertinent, the local Business Improvement District or Chamber of Commerce many of whom are sending out frequent email updates on community-specific recovery activity.  To locate your local elected official, go to www.nyc.gov/citymap and enter your address at the top.  A list of local elected officials can be found on the right-hand information bar.

Information on specific programs can be found as follows:

• Business Recovery Programs:
  http://www.nyc.gov/html/sbs/nycbiz
• City Parks Information:
  http://www.nycgovparks.org/stormupdate/storm-details
• Food and Water Distribution: http://www.nyc.gov/html/misc/html/2012/foodandwater.html
• Health:
  http://www.nyc.gov/html/doh/
• Power Outages:
  http://www.governor.ny.gov/poweroutageinfo
• Report Damage:
  http://www.nyc.gov/html/oem/html/nycsevereweather/damage_form.shtml
• Shelter Locations:
  http://www.nyc.gov/html/misc/html/2012/hurricane_shelters.html
• Tax Filing & Payment Deadline Extensions: http://www.tax.ny.gov/bus/multi/sandy_relief.htm
• Transportation Updates:
  http://www.mta.info/

III.       Twitter Updates

One of the best ways to keep up with the latest information on the storm recovery is by following the appropriate agencies and government leaders on Twitter.  Here are a few we recommend you follow:

• Governor Cuomo:                                             @NYGovCuomo
• NYC Mayor’s Office:                                         @NYCMayorsOffice
• City of New York:                                              @nycgov
• Mayor Bloomberg:                                            @MikeBloomberg
• U.S. Senator Schumer:                                    @ChuckSchumer
• U.S. Senator Gillibrand:                                    @SenGillibrand
• NYS Attorney General Eric Schneiderman:     @AGSchneiderman
• City Council Speaker Christine Quinn:            @ChrisCQuinn
• Public Advocate Bill de Blasio:                        @BilldeBlasio
• NYC Comptroller John Liu:                              @JohnCLiu
• NYC OEM:                                                       @NotifyNYC
• Con Edison:                                                     @ConEdison
• MTA:                                                                 @MTAInsider
• FEMA:                                                              @FEMA
• Red Cross:                                                      @redcrossny

Local elected officials, Chambers of Commerce and Business Improvement Districts also have their own Twitter feeds and we strongly encourage you to follow these based upon your location or interest.

IV.        Disaster Programs

The following resources can be helpful for residents and businesses seeking assistance:

• FEMA – As a result of the disaster declaration approved by President Obama, all New York City boroughs are eligible for assistance through FEMA.  FEMA can also be reached by going to its web site at www.disasterassistance.gov or calling (800) 621-3362.  Before you call, make sure you have the address of the affected property, insurance information and your social security number. http://www.disasterassistance.gov/
• Other Federal Programs – There are several federal programs run by the Small Business Administration, the Internal Revenue Service, and the Department of Housing and Urban Development.  To learn more about these programs, download Senator Kirsten Gillibrand’s guide: http://1.usa.gov/RBHr1S

• City of New York Business Programs– The City of New York’s Department of Small Business Services and NYC Economic Development Corporation have launched a number of programs to assist businesses impacted by Sandy.  They include:
  • Emergency Loans of up to $25,000 for small and mid-sized businesses.
  • Emergency sales tax letters to streamline procedures for reconstruction projects costing $500,000 or more.
  • Short-term swing office space at the Brooklyn Army Terminal.
  • A dedicated, SBS Business Outreach Team and Emergency Response Unit Large Scale Response Team for impacted businesses.

If you think you qualify for these programs, you can contact our office or the individuals identified on the dedicated SBS web site. http://www.nyc.gov/html/sbs/nycbiz/

V.       Donations & Volunteering

If you would like to make a donation or volunteer to help with the Sandy cleanup, you can visit the sites below or contact us, as we are aware of a number of charities that are assisting in specific areas of the recovery.  You can also reach out to your local elected officials (find out who represents you by visiting www.nyc.gov/citymap) all of whom have done an amazing job supporting their local communities and organizing support.

• Personal Donations: Those who wish to donate goods and services to assist New Yorkers who suffered damage from Hurricane Sandy should visit Aidmatrix. http://www.aidmatrix.org/
• Company Donations: For companies looking to make donations to Sandy victims, go to www.governor.ny.gov/sandycompanydonations
• Cash Donations: Those who wish to give cash donations, visit the Mayor’s Fund to Advance New York City. http://www.nyc.gov/html/fund/
• Volunteer Opportunities: Those who wish to volunteer, visit NYC Service. http://www.nycservice.org/