Senator Nozzolio Wants Disaster Declaration for Wayne County

By Bud Lowell

Rochester, NY – Finger Lakes area State Senator Michael Nozzolio is asking Governor Paterson to declare Wayne County a disaster area -- because of severe thunderstorms this week that heavily damaged the area's fruit farms.

Estimates are that the storm may have wiped out a third of New York's apple crop.

Senator Nozzolio says he met Wednesday with the State Agriculture Commissioner to talk about help for farmers and growers who lost crops to the thunder and hail storms. He says Wayne County hasn't seen agricultural devestation like this in a long time.

Wayne County is the second largest apple producing county in the entire United States.