President Declares Major Disaster for New Jersey

Contact: FEMA Region II News Desk
347-819-4787

WASHINGTON — The U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Federal Emergency Management Agency announced that federal disaster aid has been made available to the State of New Jersey and ordered federal aid to supplement state and local recovery efforts in the area affected by Hurricane Sandy beginning on October 26, 2012, and continuing.

The President’s action makes federal funding available to affected individuals in Atlantic, Cape May, Essex, Hudson, Middlesex, Monmouth, Ocean, and Union counties.

Assistance can include grants for temporary housing and home repairs, low-cost loans to cover uninsured property losses, and other programs to help individuals and business owners recover from the effects of the disaster.        

Federal funding is available to state and eligible local governments and certain private nonprofit organizations on a cost-sharing basis for debris removal and emergency protective measures, including direct federal assistance, for Atlantic, Cape May, Essex, Hudson, Middlesex, Monmouth, Ocean, and Union counties.

Federal funding is also available on a cost-sharing basis for hazard mitigation measures statewide.

Michael J. Hall has been named as the Federal Coordinating Officer for federal recovery operations in the affected area.  Hall said damage surveys are continuing in other areas, and more counties and additional forms of assistance may be designated after the assessments are fully completed.

Residents and business owners who sustained losses in the designated county can begin applying for assistance starting tomorrow by registering online at http://www.disasterassistance.gov, by web enabled mobile device at m.fema.gov or by calling 1-800-621-FEMA(3362) or 1-800-462-7585 (TTY) for the hearing and speech impaired. The toll-free telephone numbers will operate from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. EDT seven days a week until further notice. 

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FEMA’s mission is to support our citizens and first responders to ensure that as a nation we work together to build, sustain, and improve our capability to prepare for, protect against, respond to, recover from, and mitigate all hazards.