The Federal Emergency Management Administration has denied providing Individual Assistance for flooding victims in Orange County.

“During the period of July 20 to August 2, 2023, joint federal, state, local, Preliminary Damage Assessments were conducted in the counties of Ontario and Orange. Based on our review of all of the information available, it has been determined that the impact to the individuals and households from this event was not of such severity and magnitude to warrant the designation of Individual Assistance,” a FEMA official explained to Gov. Kathy Hochul in a letter dated from Tuesday.

Democratic U.S. Rep. Pat Ryan and other state officials made the request in August for those impacted by flooding that devastated parts of the Hudson Valley in July. It would have provided direct financial relief to Orange County residents, including funds to support the repair or replacement of destroyed homes and businesses.

Orange County was one of the hardest hit areas during the flooding, including the village of Highland Falls, hamlet of Fort Montgomery and West Point. Some residents of Highland Falls are still displaced from their homes.

"Administrator Criswell should come up to the Hudson Valley, look impacted families in the eye, and explain why she can't marshal the resources to help them rebuild their homes," Ryan said in a statement. "This is an outrageous and unacceptable failure — I will continue working to find other avenues to secure everyone impacted the relief they need and deserve."

Various other forms of financial aid have come to the region in the wake of the flooding. The White House on July 22 approved New York’s major disaster declaration, which unlocks emergency funds to support recovery and reconstruction efforts for the significant public infrastructure damage in Clinton, Dutchess, Essex, Hamilton, Ontario, Orange, Putnam and Rockland counties.

FEMA Sept. 26, 2023, letter to New York State Gov. Kathy Hochul