Picente Blasts FEMA In Letter Over Lack of Flood Assistance Money

Oneida County Executive Anthony Picente isn't happy with FEMA and he's written its administrator to express his frustration.

FEMA denied federal assistance to the area in the wake of last July's devastating flooding, and recently denied an appeal to reconsider.

In a letter to Brock Long, the county executive writes ''you made a determination to deny New York State and Oneida County a disaster declaration for the flooding that devastated my community on July 1, 2017. At that time I called your decision 'horrendous and wholly bereft of common sense.' You have one again proven me right,...''

The entire text of the letter can be accessed below. In it, Picente notes there were nearly $10 million worth of damage assessed in Oneida County due to the storm and flooding that followed, saying that damage surpassed FEMA's threshold tenfold. He continues, ''I once again welcome the opportunity to explain this to you in person, if you ever do what's right and come to my community to explain your unwillingness to assist us.''