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DATE/ AUTHOR None	AUTHORS: Barbara Whitaker

H The Week in Westchester

S1 Four weeks after a northeaster caused extensive flooding in several Westchester communities, homeowners continued to file for federal assistance last week to cope with damages.

S2 ''It's beginning to ease up a little bit,'' said Art Alejandre, a spokesman for the Federal Emergency Management Agency, which is coordinating assistance efforts.

S3 However, he said, outreach centers being operated at home improvement centers last week had resulted in an increase in applications for aid.

S4 By midweek, there had been more than 5,146 registrations statewide for assistance, more than two-thirds -- 3,507 -- from Westchester.
S5 More than $7 million in assistance had been distributed statewide, Mr. Alejandre said, about $5.9 million for housing assistance, most of it in Westchester.

S6 He said 19 loans had been approved by the federal Small Business Administration for more than $1 million statewide.
S7 He attributed the small number of loans to the fact that many of the applications sent out to businesses seeking assistance had not been returned.

S8 He noted that residents who are denied assistance can appeal the decision.
S9 Help in resubmitting applications is being offered at three disaster recovery centers, in Mamaroneck, Eastchester and New Rochelle.
S10 The last day to sign up to receive aid is June 23, Mr. Alejandre said.

S11 Additional outreach is being conducted by FEMA and the State Emergency Management Office at Home Depot stores in two Westchester locations: 601 Sprain Road in Yonkers and 150 Midland Avenue in Port Chester.
S12 Today is the last day FEMA outreach workers will be there to answer questions about flood cleanup and how to prepare for future flooding.

S13 Fletcher Jackson, a FEMA community outreach representative working at the Home Depot in Yonkers, said about 60 to 100 people a day were stopping at the information table.
S14 About half had sustained flood damage in the April 15 storm.

S15 ''We want people to be better prepared,'' Mr. Alejandre said.
S16 ''The question is not if there will be another event, but when.''

S17 Sewage Danger Is Over In Hudson, Officials Say

S18 County health officials on Thursday lifted a warning cautioning people to stay out of the Hudson River, six days after a pipe ruptured in Yonkers, releasing more than 7.5 million gallons of raw sewage into the river.

S19 ''We haven't had a spill of this size for half a dozen years,'' said Mary Landrigan, a spokeswoman with the county Health Department.

S20 The spill occurred May 4 when a 48-inch concrete pipe broke after a hillside, weakened by heavy rainfall in April, collapsed.
S21 The break occurred just north of the Greystone train station, contaminating water from the northern end of the Bronx, through Westchester and into southern Rockland County.

S22 Ms. Landrigan said contact with the contaminated water could lead to stomach cramps, vomiting and diarrhea, although no cases had been reported by late last week.
S23 The leak was fixed within days, and Ms. Landrigan said tidal action and the large volume of water in the river would disperse the sewage.
S24 Drinking water was not affected.

S25 However, an additional half million gallons of sewage flowed into a nearby wetland.
S26 State environmental officials said they were examining the impact to determine whether a cleanup would be necessary.

S27 THE WEEK

