Suffolk Notebook: FEMA Disaster Centers Available for Residents

County officials announced this week that a Federal Emergency Management Agency disaster recovery center is now open in Hauppauge, and another will open in Riverhead next week.

The Hauppauge center, located on the plaza level at the H. Lee Dennison building, will be open from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., Monday through Saturday, and will host FEMA officials to inform Suffolk residents of aid options available to them.

Suffolk County residents were , less than a week after Tropical Storm swept through Long Island and left thousands of homeowners with damaged homes and without power.

“We are pleased that IA assistance has been approved," said Suffolk County Executive Steve Levy. “Individual assistance now opens the door to up to $30,200 in grants for businesses and homeowners, with additional low-interest loans that could bring the total amount up to $100,000 per applicant.”

The Riverhead disaster recovery center is expected to open on Monday and be located at the Riverhead Fire Headquarters on Roanoke Avenue.

(Update: The center in Hauppaugue closed , and the deadline to file for FEMA assistance is ).

Seven More Samples Detected

The Suffolk County Department of Health Services detected seven more mosquito samples of this week, upping the total this summer to 72. In addition 25 birds have tested positive, as well as one human who has recovered fully.

The DHS urged residents to "dump the water," meaning individuals should ensure stagnant water around their homes is eliminated, especially following hard rains.

DHS Commissioner Dr. James Tomarken said the samples are not a cause for alarm, though he advised residents to take basic measures to prevent mosquito bites: minimize outdoor activity between dusk and dawn, wear long sleeves and pants when outdoors for extended periods of time and use mosquito repellent when outdoors.

Sunday Bus Gets One More Week on East End

Sunday and holiday bus service on the East End will see its last offering on Sunday as .

The program, which raised fares on the S92 and 10C routes by 50 cents to a $2.00 fare, is expected to pay for the increased service once it gets to full strength next year, says Legis. Jay Schneiderman, I-Montauk.

But with the program running nearly a $20,000 deficit after its 10-week debut, Suffolk County Department of Public Works Commissioner Gil Anderson is pulling the plug to ensure the routes make up the difference before the end of the fiscal year.

Schneiderman is working on a county-wide Sunday and holiday bus proposal — which he calls a "critical arteries plan" — that would run through each legislative district. Should the first year of his East End proposal run in the red, he doubts he would garner much support for the Suffolk proposal.

"We can't put the larger program as risk," he said. "If this runs negative for this fiscal year, it could be pulled and my effort to get countywide Sunday bus is put in jeopardy. I would rather close this fiscal year out positive or breaking even."