PRESS RELEASE

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Otsego County Chairman Donald Lindberg is extending the Otsego County State of Emergency from 1:45 pm July 7, 2006 and ending at 1:45 pm, July 12, 2006. The State of Emergency is extended due to continuing emergency conditions produced by flooding between June 27 through June 30, 2006 which caused severe damage to infrastructure and to individual homes and businesses. These conditions threaten or imperil the public safety of the citizens of Otsego County.

Road status is continuously updated as it comes in from the Highway Department on the county website www.otsegocounty.com or contact the EOC at 607-547-4328.

Free Tetanus Clinic: The Otsego County Health Department will be holding a free Tetanus Vaccination clinic on:

Monday July 10^th 10 am – 12 pm

242 Main Street, Oneonta

Tuesday July 11^th 10 am -12 pm

The Meadows Office Complex, County Rte 33W

Cooperstown

Vaccine will be provided to any individuals who have been or will be exposed to contaminated flood water and have not had a tetanus shot in the past 10 years.

Hepatitis A concerns: If you live in an area stricken by recent flooding, you do not need to worry about contracting Hepatitis A. The Center for Disease Control (CDC) states that, even in flood conditions “No transmission from contaminated water has been identified in the US since the 1980s including during Hurricane Katrina and previous hurricanes and the big Midwest floods of the 1990’s.”

Follow these simple and effective steps to protect yourself from infections:

Thoroughly wash your hands after contact with potentially contaminated floodwaters or debris;
Use gloves when handling items exposed to flood waters, wash your hands after removing the gloves;
If you have open cuts or sores exposed to floodwater, keep them as clean as possible by washing them with soap and disinfected or boiled water and apply antibiotic ointment.

OTSEGO COUNTY RESIDENTS

Otsego County Call Center:

800-884-9286.

Hours 8 am – 8 pm

Daily

Otsego County Attorney Rodney L. Klafehn would like to inform tenants who have been evacuated from their residences because of the recent floods who have been threatened by their landlords with eviction, or have received demands from their landlord for payment of rent should know that under New York Law, a tenant’s obligation to pay rent is dependent upon the landlord’s satisfactory maintenance of the premises in a habitable condition. If a residence has become uninhabitable by reason of flood damage, the tenant is not obligated to pay rent until the premises once again becomes habitable. “Habitable” means that the property has been returned to its pre-flood condition and has been certified as habitable by the municipality’s code enforcement officer.

Representatives from the Otsego County Department of Social Services are available at the Disaster Assistance Center at Lee Hall SUNY Oneonta.

Red Cross representatives are also located at Lee Hall to provide assistance.

Directions to Lee Hall in Oneonta: From I88 exit 15N to the traffic light at Main Street, Oneonta. Cross Main Street onto Maple Ave. to the traffic light at Center Street. Right on Center Street , first left onto East Street ( look for the green airport sign). East Street to Bugbee Rd (past the Oneonta High School). Left onto Bugbee Rd. to the 2^nd left - East Dormitory Rd. Left on East Dormitory Rd to Lee Hall.

**IF YOU NEED DISASTER ASSISTANCE IT IS ABSOLUTELY NECESSARY TO REGISTER WITH BOTH FEMA AND THE STATE BY TELEPHONE, ON THE WEBSITE OR IN PERSON.**

FEMA ASSISTANCE

800-621-3362

TTY: 800-462-7585

APPLY ON LINE www.disasteraid.fema.gov

STATE ASSISTANCE

888-769-7243

TTY: NYS Relay 711

Apply on line www.labor.state.ny.us

WASTE DISPOSAL: The temporary Round House Rd. collection site for household hazardous waste materials damaged by the flood will be permanently closed on Friday, July 7^th. Beginning late Monday afternoon, July 10^th a hazardous household waste collection site will be set up at MOSA on Silas Rd in Oneonta.

Karen Liddle

Public Information Officer

607-547-1660