US Army Veteran Denied Hurricane Sandy Aid by FEMA

Daniel Jackson

A strict federal law has helped FEMA deny Hurricane Sandy aid to an elderly Korean War veteran suffering from dementia.

As the Hurricane ravaged through his Staten Island neighborhood, Vito Colucci Sr. was safe in his son’s New Jersey home, having been staying there for a time due to his deteriorating health problems.

Apparently, telling FEMA the truth was where the family’s problems began:

Vito Colucci Sr., a Staten Island resident who served in the Korean War, was living with his son’s family in New Jersey when Hurricane Sandy hit at the end of October. Colucci was diagnosed with dementia two years ago and submitted an application to the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) three days after the storm ravaged his Staten Island home, according to the New York Daily News. 

Colucci owns the damaged home, but FEMA rejected his application because Colucci had taken residence with his son.