HAMDEN — Hamden will receive nearly $295,000 in federal funding to repair roads and drainage infrastructure damaged by Tropical Storm Debby, U.S. Sen. Chuck Schumer announced Wednesday, Sept. 16.
The $294,773.51 grant is an initial portion of a much larger federal disaster-assistance request by the town. Hamden has been working with the Federal Emergency Management Agency for nearly two years on more than $5 million in requested disaster assistance and mitigation funding.
The grant will support repairs along Chamber Hollows Road, East Brook Road and other areas damaged by flooding, according to Schumer’s office.
“I’m proud to deliver nearly $300,000 in federal funding needed for the Town of Hamden to repair roads damaged by Tropical Storm Debby,” Schumer said. “This investment will help restore safe and reliable roads for residents.”
The planned work includes replacing existing metal pipes with concrete box culverts, installing headwalls and wingwalls, repairing roadside ditches and shoulders and stabilizing a failing roadside embankment.
The culvert work is intended to improve drainage capacity and meet requirements of the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation. Soil nails will be installed to stabilize an eroding embankment where the roadside has begun to slide away from the roadway.
Schumer said the improvements are intended not only to address damage from Debby but also to reduce the potential for future storm-related damage.
“The community deserves to see these roads repaired without taxpayers having to shoulder the costs of storm recovery,” Schumer said. “I’ll keep fighting to deliver the remaining funding the Town needs to rebuild stronger and weather the storms ahead.”
Schumer sent a letter to FEMA Administrator Cameron Hamilton in August urging the agency to provide funding for the Hamden project.
The town’s broader request has been tied to damage caused by Tropical Storm Debby, which brought flooding and severe weather to parts of New York in August 2024. Schumer said he will continue seeking additional federal assistance for the remaining work.
Schumer has previously sought federal disaster assistance for Delaware County communities following major floods.
After flooding in 2006 and 2011, Schumer advocated for federal disaster declarations that made federal recovery assistance available to affected communities and property owners.
Following 2006 flooding, Schumer said he helped secure FEMA approval for temporary housing for residents displaced by the disaster, including in Delaware County.
In 2008, he secured $300,000 in federal appropriations for flood-protection work in the Village of Sidney, including repairs to pump stations and flap gates.
Schumer also helped author a 2012 federal disaster-aid provision that provided $200 million through the Economic Development Administration for economic-development projects in counties affected by natural disasters. Delaware County received $3.8 million through that program for the Delaware County Industrial Development Agency, which used the funding to help relocate Amphenol Aerospace and retain more than 950 jobs, according to Schumer’s office.
Federal disaster declarations also helped make FEMA Hazard Mitigation Grant Program funding available for flood-mitigation efforts in Sidney. Nearly $7 million was used to buy out more than 100 flood-damaged properties in the Lower River Street neighborhood, according to Schumer’s office.
In 2025, Schumer also pressed FEMA to restore federal funding for the Sidney Culvert Project, a proposed flood-mitigation project in the village.
For Hamden, the newly announced grant represents a first installment as the town continues pursuing additional federal assistance for the larger repair and mitigation effort.
