Thursday, October 1, 2026
East Rockaway Mayor Francis T. Lenahan and Town of Hempstead Councilman Anthony Santino co-hosted a joint Town Hall meeting for local residents to ask questions and make comments about issues happening close to home. Assemblyman Brian Curran and representatives from a wide variety of departments from both entities were also on hand to help answer questions. Most of the meeting focused on Hurricane Sandy, since many people are still trying to rebuild all that was lost in late October.
Santino kicked off the meeting with news of federal funds awarded to New York State and Nassau County, but added that homeowners have still yet to see any of it at this time. “Relief money has finally started to come into the state,” he said. “It has not really reached down to the individual level yet.”
Residents were advised, if they have not done so already, to preregister for New York Rising Aid, which offers small business and housing assistance to those in need, by calling 1-855-NYS-SANDY or going to www.nysandyhelp.ny.gov. Santino noted that although Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s relief plan is not set in concrete at this time, people are still able to preregister for the program.
Several residents, many of who live in Bay Park, asked questions about raising their homes in order to save money on flood insurance premiums and potentially having their home out of harm’s way if another storm like Sandy hits the area in the future.
Rebecca Furst, the Town of Hempstead’s floodplain manager, explained that if a resident decides to raise their home they would still be eligible for funds from the Community Block Grant, which is provided by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. However, if a homeowner breaks ground before being awarded funds from the Hazard Mitigation Grant Program, which is provided by the Federal Emergency Management Agency, then they will not have access to the program moving forward.
