New York, NY —
There are about a half-dozen homes in the Davis Park section of Fire Island that might have to be condemned because of storm damage. Brookhaven Town officials are set to survey the area today. The homes were built on stilts above the surf.
And yesterday's storm and pounding waves eroded tons of sand around the stilts leaving the homes in danger of falling. The storm also washed away sand that helped to steady staircases and decks. The homes were built in the 1950s as summer residences. One contractor tells Newsday that the homes could be saved by putting new pilings in the sand to bolster them. The storm caused major beach erosion along Long Island's south shore.
Hardest hit areas include Robert Moses State Park and Jones Beach. State Parks Regional Director George Gorman says a year's worth of sand has been eroded in the past two days.
Connecticut Governor Jodi Rell is asking for federal assistance for storm damaged areas of the state. Rell toured several storm damaged areas in Connecticut and says she will send a letter to the Federal Emergency Management Agency asking to declare a major disaster in Connecticut.
If FEMA agrees, towns could get up to 75% reimbursement from the federal government for storm-related damage or clean-up and repair work. Individuals could also qualify for financial help. At Rell's request, the state Department of Revenue Services also extended the deadline for filing Connecticut tax returns until midnight Thursday.