Empire State Development meetings

More Than 140 Businesses will Receive Funding to Support Recovery and Strengthen Resiliency Against Future Flooding Governor Andrew M. Cuomo today announced over $17 million from the Lake Ontario Business Resiliency Program has been awarded to more than 140 businesses in shoreline communities to assist with restoration and resiliency efforts from prior flooding events, and to strengthen businesses against future flooding. The grants were awarded to affected businesses in the eight county area that surrounds Lake Ontario and the St. Lawrence River as part of the Governor's Resiliency and Economic Development Initiative, which was established in response to devastating flooding along shoreline communities in 2017 and 2019. "We know that climate change is real and there's no such thing as a 'hundred-year flood' - it's the new normal and we need to be prepared for anything Mother Nature sends our way," Governor Cuomo said. "The Lake Ontario Business Resiliency Program is providing critical help to businesses to repair the damage from repeated flooding while strengthening their resiliency efforts as they build back better than before." REDI Co-Chair and Empire State Development Acting Commissioner and President & CEO designate Eric Gertler said, "Thousands of New York State businesses span the shorelines of Lake Ontario and the St. Lawrence River and rely on these bodies of water for their way of life. Many of these businesses were severely impacted by reoccurring flooding and high-water levels and this funding will help build these businesses back stronger and smarter than ever before so they can withstand future flooding events and remain integral components of their communities." Read the full press release here.