ITHACA, N.Y. (WHCU) — Flooding is a concern in Ithaca.

Mayor Robert Cantelmo says money from FEMA, which was announced by the city last month, will help.

Cantelmo adds there’s a lot of questions to answer.

The mayor tells WHCU work to complete the flood mitigation plan may take a couple years. During his State of the City address during Wednesday’s Common Council meeting, Cantelmo mentioned the importance of FEMA’s funding:

 “Critically important to the heart of our city, we have secured $800,000 in federal funds to design flood mitigation efforts in response to the draft FEMA flood maps.”

Mayor Cantelmo was a guest Thursday on Ithaca’s Morning News, a day after he took the oath of office as Ithaca’s 46th mayor.