A Year After Hurricane Sandy: New Jersey Recovery By The Numbers

Sandy facts

• October 29, 2012, Hurricane Sandy strikes with a storm surge weather experts had never seen before
• 37,000 primary residences destroyed or damaged
• 8.7 million cubic yards of debris left behind
• 2.7 million New Jerseyans without power

The first 48 hours

• 548 FEMA specialists on the ground in New Jersey
• Three mobile disaster recovery centers open
• 3 States responded with Emergency Medical Services – 385 people
• 8 Disaster Medical Assistance Teams and U.S. Public Health Strike Teams arrive
• October 31, 2012, the first FEMA Individuals and Household Program disbursement of $155,027

Response milestones at one year

• More than $5.67 billion in total federal assistance approved for Individual Assistance grants, SBA low-interest disaster loans, National Flood Insurance Program payments and Public Assistance grants.

Individual Assistance

• More than $413 million approved for individuals and households including:
  • Nearly $356 million for housing assistance
  • More than $56.6 million for other needs, including clothing, household items, disaster-related damage to a vehicle, and disaster-related medical and dental expenses
• More than 261, 000 people contacted FEMA for help or information
• 127,046 housing inspections completed
• 36 disaster recovery centers opened
• 90,000 visits to disaster recovery centers
• 5,546 individuals and families housed temporarily in hotel rooms under the Transitional Sheltering Assistance program
• 3,410 survivors received disaster unemployment assistance

U.S. Small Business Administration

• More than $819.8 million in SBA low-interest disaster loans approved for homeowners, renters and businesses

National Flood Insurance Program

• More than $3.5 billion paid on all claims in flood insurance payments made to policyholders

Public Assistance

• More than $926 million was approved in FEMA Public Assistance grants to communities and some nonprofit organizations that serve the public
• 4,959 projects approved so far

A whole community response

• 507 voluntary agencies were involved in recovery
• More than 1.6 million meals and 1.4 million liters of water were distributed
• 21 languages were used to communicate assistance information to survivors
• More than 1 million multilingual fliers were distributed
• Nearly 8.7 million cubic yards of debris was removed
• At peak, more than 2,429 people were deployed to New Jersey by FEMA and other federal agencies
• 36 federal agencies assisted FEMA during Hurricane Sandy in New York
• The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers received 335 requests for generators – 106 installed at peak
• Approximately 300,000 pounds of food was provided by the U.S. Department of Agriculture
• The Defense Logistics Agency delivered 2.3 million gallons of fuel to distribution points in New York and New Jersey
• The Port of New Jersey was closed to incoming and outgoing vessel traffic because of Superstorm Sandy, according the U.S. Coast Guard