Gov. Hochul declares disaster emergency for Suffolk County following heavy rainfall

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Gov. Kathy Hochul signed an executive order Friday declaring a disaster emergency for Suffolk County due to heavy rainfall that occurred from Aug. 18 to 19. The rain resulted in severe flooding and caused the breach of two local dams. It also damaged multiple state and local roads, according to officials. Christian Berio and many other Suffolk families are breathing a sigh of relief after dealing with a nightmare situation Sunday night. "Everything was 4 inches, we were sweeping and mitigating the water, and all of a sudden we realize the water is pouring in through the sides of the door,” he said. Berio says the water went from being a few inches to a few feet deep outside of his Head of the Harbor home Sunday night. The water submerged his cars and poured into his basement. "It came flowing in here like a wave, and everything that we were saving and putting up high, the wave came in and upturned all the furniture,” says Berio. Some help for impacted families is finally on the way in the form of grants. New York state will provide grants of up to $50,000 to homeowners. The grants will go towards repairs that insurance won’t cover. There are income requirements for those looking to apply for them. "If I could get assistance in aid, it would really help,” he says. "If it came in, it would be an absolute blessing. With 50,000, I could at least get this living area back to something." Still waiting for some financial assistance are business owners like Michael Salsedo, who owns Salad-icious in Smithtown. "The sand washed into my store. We had to clean up for like 14 hours,” says Salsedo. "We lost a lot of money for not being open on Monday, and I have to replace some electrical lines that was underneath the slab that got damaged." Hochul also says she will issue a request for a federal emergency declaration from President Biden to help recovery efforts throughout the county. Those in need of assistance from the storm can fill out the New York State Homes & Community Renewal form here . The New York state Department of Financial Services will be on hand to provide insurance help to residents and businesses affected by the storms this upcoming Tuesday and Wednesday at Stony Brook University's Center of Excellence in Wireless and Information Technology, Room 343 from 10 a.m. until 7 p.m. "