Long Island business owners ask for federal relief after devastating flooding

NEW YORK – Business owners on Long Island are still reeling from the aftermath of the historic flooding that ravaged their community on Sunday.

The damage, which was catastrophic in some areas, left many without flood insurance uncertain about their future. 

“You’ve got drains and sewers that come back up, and that’s one aspect of this, then you’ve got rain that’s from the outside, that’s another aspect. Then you’ve got the sump, which is owned by New York State, which overflowed, which is another part,” said Matthew Steinberg, a veterinarian and the owner of the Commack Veterinary Center, one of a number of businesses in a strip mall that saw several feet of flooding.

Steinberg, like his neighbors, did not have flood insurance when the historic rainfall came.

“My insurance company, my adjuster hasn’t even come out here,” Steinberg said. “It sounds like insurance is not going to cover this and if it does, it’s going to be a battle for all of these storefront owners. You’re talking six months, a year, to six years.”

The flooding has left many business owners facing a financial nightmare, with damages running into the hundreds of thousands of dollars. Steinberg’s veterinary center alone saw significant losses, including an $80,000 X-ray machine. 

“We need state funding, we need federal funding, like, we don’t need help for the future. Really, what we need is like, the next three to four weeks, we need financial help so that we can stay afloat now,” Steinberg said. 

Connecticut was also hit hard by flooding, and Governor Ned Lamont has already announced a federal emergency declaration for a few of their countries, which means they will be getting money from FEMA. 

However, Suffolk County is yet to hear back from state and federal officials, something residents say is frustrating. 

“The county seems to care, and they’re trying to do what they can but they’re limited,” Steinberg said. “The state seems like they’re slow right now, and they’re just starting to say ‘Well let’s look at it and see if it’s an issue or not.’ It’s clearly an issue.”

FOX 5 NY reached out to Senator Chuck Schumer to find out if the federal government will step in to help the affected business owners and residents.

“We’re doing everything we can to get FEMA and the Army Corps to come in quickly and prepare to reimburse both governments and homeowners and small businesses for their losses,” Schumer said.