Highland Falls residents are still dealing with the impact of major flooding last July.

What You Need To Know

  • Highland Falls residents said major funding from the state for flood relief is still missing

  • State Sen. James Skoufis said he advanced a proposal to provide relief for storm damages that weren’t covered by FEMA and the state’s Department of Homeland Security, but this was not included in the state’s final budget signed by Gov. Kathy Hochul

  • A spokesperson for Hochul said efforts have been made to help homeowners recover and rebuild after last July's flooding

“I was absolutely terrified, completely in shock,” said Katharine Dagaev, a Highland Falls resident.

“It was scary,” said Brian Fredrickson of Highland Falls.

From property damage to the loss of personal belongings, some residents have faced huge expenses, saying they only received help from fundraisers.

“That's the only reason I was able to, you know, buy new furniture,” Dagaev said.

But they said major funding assistance is still missing.

“The state basically left the homeowners, you know, high and dry,” Fredrickson said. “They left us alone to figure it out ourselves.”

State Sen. James Skoufis said he advanced a proposal to provide relief for storm damages that weren’t covered by FEMA and the state’s Department of Homeland Security, but it was not included in the state’s final budget signed by Gov. Kathy Hochul.

“The governor turned her back on Orange County specifically,” Skoufis said.

"Within a week of last year's horrific flooding in Highland Falls, Hochul set up a $3 million fund to help homeowners recover and rebuild. After that funding was spent to aid residents of Highland Falls and other Orange County communities, the governor included an additional $115 million in the FY25 budget to support neighborhoods with significant flood risk,” a spokesperson for the governor said in a statement.

Residents are wondering when that aid may come.

“We're not making any more upgrades or any more repairs to the house because, you know, it’d just be throwing money away, especially if we can't live here,” Fredrickson said.