Yesterday afternoon our community was struck by a powerful storm system and wind event that caused significant damage throughout the region and particularly to our family, friends and neighbors in the Town and Village of Hancock. Many of our neighbors continue to experience damaged homes and businesses, extended power outages, blocked roads, fallen trees, and other hardships. We are extremely grateful to our local leadership and first responders who have worked throughout the night repairing the damage and cleaning up the community and to everyone doing their part to help.
Our thoughts and prayers are with every family, business owner, and property owner affected by this devastating storm. Hancock has always been a resilient community, and together we will recover. To make this recovery effort easier for those who need certain kinds of information about Emergency Assistance Programs such as: Grants, Small Business Loans and Housing or Food Assistance the Hancock Area Chamber of Commerce has made a tentative resource guide and updated our previous guides on our website to help as best we can!
Community Recovery Resource Guide Available
The Hancock Area Chamber of Commerce has compiled a publicly available Recovery Resource Guide to help residents, homeowners, farms, nonprofits, and small business owners access available local, county, state, and federal assistance.
The guide includes important information and contact details for:
Emergency housing and shelter
Food assistance
Financial assistance programs
Homeowner recovery resources
Small business disaster assistance
Farm and agricultural assistance
Insurance claim assistance
Mental health services
Disaster loans and grants
Volunteer cleanup organizations
State and federal recovery agencies
View the resource guide or download the PDF here:
Please share this resource with anyone who may need assistance during the recovery process.
Report Your Damage
-If your home, business, farm, or property sustained damage, please report it to your local officials as soon as possible. Every damage report is important and helps Delaware County and New York State determine whether additional state and federal disaster assistance can be made available to our community.
-Even if you have insurance, please report your damages.
Before You Begin Cleanup
-Take photographs of all damage before making repairs whenever possible.
-Keep receipts for cleanup, temporary lodging, meals, fuel, generators, tree removal, and emergency repairs.
-Contact your insurance company as soon as possible.
-Stay away from downed power lines and report them immediately. Always assume they are energized.
Looking Out for One Another
-If you know of a neighbor—especially an older adult, someone with disabilities, or a family without transportation—please check on them. A simple phone call, visit, or helping hand can make an enormous difference during difficult times.
-If you are in immediate need of food, shelter, emergency assistance, or other essential services, please contact your local emergency officials or dial 211 to be connected with available community resources.
Volunteers & Donations
-We have received an incredible outpouring of inquiries and support from individuals, businesses, neighboring communities, and organizations asking how they can help.
-As volunteer opportunities, donation drives, cleanup efforts, and recovery initiatives are organized, we will continue to post verified updates through our website, mobile app, and social media channels in the coming days and weeks.
We extend our heartfelt thanks to our first responders, fire departments, EMS personnel, highway crews, utility workers, emergency management officials, volunteers, neighboring communities, local businesses, and everyone who has stepped forward to help our community recover. Hancock is strong because of its community and our resilient people. Together, we will rebuild.
Please share this post so it reaches anyone who may need assistance or know someone who does.