Thursday, March 14, 2013
The agency has released a number of facts in response to ongoing questions and concerns.
As New Jersey continues its reconstruction following Hurricane Sandy, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) is hoping a recently released fact sheet will answer questions and help alleviate some concerns for residents still in the process of recovery. Among the tidbits offered by FEMA are ways to contact the agency - there are a number of methods - when the registration deadline is set to expire - that's currently April 1, though it's been extended several times so far - and just who is eligible to apply for aid - both renters and homeowners. The facts presented by FEMA also serve to dispel some rumors agency officials said often pop up during conversations with residents. Among the questions FEMA often receives are if income …
Wednesday, March 13, 2013
Elderly residents affected by Superstorm Sandy could find themselves victims of unscrupulous contractors and scam artists.
- GOVERNMENT
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Wednesday, March 13
The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) is advising seniors recovering from Superstorm Sandy to be on the lookout for scam artists claiming to represent FEMA, the Small Business Administration (SBA) or the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP). By going door to door to storm-damaged homes or making contact by phone or on the Internet, scam artists may try to obtain personal information such as Social Security and bank account numbers or falsely claim that you need to make a payment to a federal agency. FEMA is offering residents a number of tips to ensure that they're not victims of a potential scam: On any follow-up calls, a FEMA representative will only ask for the last four digits of the applicant’s Social Security number. …
Tuesday, March 12, 2013
The agency provided a broken down list of programs and aid distributed since Hurricane Sandy.
In the more than four months since Hurricane Sandy arrived in New Jersey and caused massive destruction to its coastal communities, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has distributed more than $4 billion in aid, loans, and flood insurance payouts, the agency announced recently. FEMA provides regular updates relating to funding totals and the number of residents who have availed themselves of the agency's services as it continues to work in New Jersey to provide assistance following Sandy. According to FEMA, National Flood Insurance Program claim payouts total approximately $2.7 billion. That figure will rise as additional claims are made and existing claims are resolved. In all, $586.4 million in loans have been approved by the…
The grant will provide $75,000 to the New Jersey Department of Human Services.
- GOVERNMENT
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Tuesday, March 12
The New Jersey Department of Human Services was awarded grant funding to help replenish food supplies used during Hurricane Sandy to feed low income, elderly residents, U.S. Sen. Frank Lautenberg, D-NJ, and Robert Menendez, D-NJ, announced Tuesday. The $75,000 grant will be used to provide county Area Agencies on Aging with funds to replenish the supply of shelf-stable meals used during the storm to feed victims, a release from the senators' office said. "This funding is another example of the federal government stepping up to take care of New Jersey in the wake of Superstorm Sandy," Lautenberg, a lead author of the Sandy relief legislation, said in a release. "Once Sandy struck, the State moved quickly to make sure the most vulnerable …
Thursday, March 7, 2013
Residents in the program get at least two more weeks, Gov. Chris Christie's office announced Thursday.
The Federal Emergency Management Agency's (FEMA) Transitional Sheltering Assistance program has been extended an additional 14 days at the request of the state, Gov. Chris Christie's office announced Thursday. The extension runs through March 22, requiring eligible households currently living in hotels through the program to check out by the following day, unless the program is extended once again. The TSA program was activated immediately following Hurricane Sandy. The purpose of the program is to allow eligible survivors who cannot return to their homes because of storm damage to stay in participating hotels or motels until more suitable housing is available. Approximately 675 families remain in hotels and motels as part of the program …
Tuesday, March 5, 2013
New Jersey Office of Emergency Management prepares briefing
How does a government go from disaster, to emergency response, to long-term rebuild to normalcy, while seeking FEMA reimbursements along the way? A detailed briefing on the process appears on the New Jersey Office of Emergency Management's Disaster Public Assistance site, outlining the different classifications a town would use for projects after a disaster such as Hurricane Sandy. The briefing aims to break down the complicated process and provide an overview. The PowerPoint presentation answers questions such as: Which local officers would be coordinating the reimbursement effort depends on the project -- whether an emergency rescue cost, clearing right-of-ways, or repairing infrastructure, for example. The 57-page document delves into …
Saturday, February 23, 2013
And Toms River, Union Beach offices to close March 2
The FEMA Disaster Recovery Center in Belmar Borough Hall will close 4 p.m. Saturday Feb. 23 after officials saw fewer appointments being made at the office, the agency announced today. Since it's opening after Hurricane Sandy, the office saw more than 3,400 appointments at 601 Main Street in Belmar. After scheduling slows, the offices announce they are closing and divert those seeking disaster assistance to nearby DRCs. "Over the past weeks, the number of individuals seeking help at the Belmar center has dropped, indicating the information needs of survivors in the area have mostly been met," said FEMA in an announcement today. However, the next nearest DRCs for the Belmar area still open after Saturday will be Toms River's and Union Beach…
Thursday, February 14, 2013
The ongoing workshops are being held in several home improvement stores throughout the area.
The Federal Emergency Management Agency is providing free advice on how to repair or rebuild your Hurricane Sandy-damaged home at several home improvement stores throughout the area. With an eye on rebuilding to mitigate future disaster damage, FEMA experts will be on hand to offer building techniques that can help protect homes, businesses and other properties. Among the topics advice is being offered on are: • Ridding a home of mold and mildew. • Understanding flood- and wind-resistant building methods. • Knowing the benefits of flood insurance. • Elevating or anchoring utilities. Sepecialists are on hand today, Thursday, and Friday from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Saturday, Feb. 16 from 8:30 a.m…
Tuesday, February 12, 2013
Residents of Union Beach met with Rep. Frank Pallone on Tuesday to air grievances about insurance.
Randall Kidd’s story isn’t unique. A Union Beach resident, he’s faithfully paid into the National Flood Insurance Program for years, insuring his home against the kind of flood damage caused by Hurricane Sandy with a $217,000 policy he hoped would make him whole. After his home was destroyed by the late October storm, Kidd set about filling out the appropriate paperwork, meeting with adjusters who came in from out of state and waiting for the check to arrive so he could start to work. Finally, the check did come, but for $89,000, less than half of what contractors have told him it will cost to rebuild his home. In a crowded conference room at Union Beach’s municipal building, Kidd and other area residents met to find an answer, or at least…
Friday, February 8, 2013
Gov. Christie said home buyouts are a possibility, but that he's leaving the decision to individual towns to make.
State-funded buyouts of homes in flood-prone neighborhoods ravaged by Hurricane Sandy is a possibility, Gov. Christie said this week. However, when it comes to a final decision, it’s one he hopes the residents will make. In Sea Bright, Christie was joined Thursday afternoon by U.S. Secretary of Housing and Urban Development Shaun Donovan to discuss the allocation of $1.8 billion that will be used to fund Community Development Block grants, or CDBGs. Though that money will be focused on rebuilding homes and small businesses, future HUD allocations could be used for residential buyouts. It’s not something he’d like to see, Christie said, but if a community finds that it’s the best option for their future, it will have to be considered. “I …
Susan McDermott
9:36 am on Monday, March 18, 2013
Why are comment with inappropriate languange being permitted to stay here for days and days after being reported? more ›