We have all seen the dramatic pictures of the snow piles in Boston, but the less noticeable impacts on those on people, businesses, and parents of school children. It is hard to believe, but even with 100 plus inches of snow on the ground, and the major cash outlays by the City of Boston, FEMA has yet to grant Boston a disaster declaration. Probably many other nearby localities have applied for federal assistance too.
Among the many indicators of hardship is the slump in business sales. See:
Winter storms battered sales of small businesses, survey shows.
As snow piled ever higher last month, sales slumped dramatically for retailers, restaurants, and other small businesses in Massachusetts….
The poll of more than 1,600 companies found sales fell an average of 24 percent between Jan. 26 and Feb. 22, compared with the same period a year earlier. Retailers and restaurants were hit hardest by the weather, with sales falling nearly 50 percent….
As noted in the article, for some businesses the lack of consumers is a hardship and for some (notably small restaurants), it may be fatal.
Just because CNN and the other media stop showing pictures, that does not mean the problems in recovering communities are over.
Recovery Diva 
Thank you for your article and yes, we here in Boston and especially those who have supported this administration would expect to see FEMA given the adverse weather conditions which have caused many hardship —
A reader noted that the decline in the local economy will mean a decline in the tax revenue for Boston at a later date. Loss of businesses will have longer term impacts.