Monday, April 1, 2013
Deadline extension applies for homeowner, renter and business registration with SBA
Residents impacted by Superstorm Sandy now have until May 1 to register for individual disaster assistance through the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), according to a prepared statement from the governor's office. The deadline extension also applies for homeowner, renter, and business registration with the Small Business Administration (SBA) for Disaster Loan Assistance. Businesses applying for SBA Economic Injury loans still have until July 31 to apply. The loans are for businesses that did not suffer any physical damage, but lost revenue in Sandy's aftermath. State and federal offiicials have urged all residents and businesses affected by the storm, whether it was through flooding, wind damage or loss of business revenue, to…
Sunday, January 27, 2013
Extension prompted by a request from New Jersey officials.
The deadline to register for disaster assistance in the wake of Hurricane Sandy has been extended to March 1, Federal Emergency Management Agency officials said Friday. The registration, which was supposed to end Wednesday, Jan. 30, was extended to give storm survivors another month to register with the agency for federal aid, according to an NJ.com report last week. The extension was prompted by a request from New Jersey officials, according to FEMA. More than 57,500 New Jersey residents so far have been approved for help through FEMA’s individual assistance program, the report said.
Tuesday, January 8, 2013
FEMA and the DEP provided grants to the borough for buyouts after Hurricane Irene hit in 2011.
Updated at 3:45 p.m. Thursday Westwood closed on three flood-prone properties last week, allowing homeowners who had been in limbo since Hurricane Irene to finally move on with their lives. The borough closed on 55 and 46 Harding Avenue Thursday morning and 60 Harding Avenue Friday morning, according to Borough Administrator Robert Hoffmann. The purchases were made with a portion of $2,068,057 in grants, including about $1.5 million from FEMA and the rest from the Department of Environmental Protection's Green Acres program. As a part of the buyout program, FEMA required the borough to have the homes appraised, which set the prices to be paid. Grant money was also used to cover costs like the appraisers. The amounts paid for the three …
Thursday, November 8, 2012
Federal representatives on hand to help with disaster assistance at new Bergen County center, the county executive announced Thursday.
Officials have opened a Disaster Recovery Center at the county administration building in Hackensack, allowing storm-battered locals to get assistance in applying for Sandy recovery programs. The center will be staffed with representatives from the Federal Emergency Management Agency and U.S. Small Business Administration, according to Bergen County Executive Kathleen Donovan's Office. Information on state and federal programs, disaster assistance and low-interest mitigation loans for private non-profits and businesses will be available. Residents should bring photo identification, insurance information, an itemized list of damages and their FEMA registration number if they have already registered with the agency, Donovan's office said…
Sunday, November 4, 2012
Homeowners with damaged property from Hurricane Sandy have 60 days to register for assistance.
As the full extent of Hurricane Sandy's impact is still being uncovered, residents who lost homes or have suffered damage to them may apply to FEMA for help right now. Registering your claim can be done online or by phone, and the process takes about 25-30 minutes, officials say. The website is www.disasterassistance.gov. You can apply via your smartphone as well at m.fema.gov. To apply by phone, call 1-800-621-3362. People with speech or hearing disabilities should call 1-800-462-7585. According to Scott Sanders, a FEMA spokesman, you have 60 days from the date of the disaster declaration to apply for help. For New Jersey residents, this means you have until Saturday, Dec. 29 -- 60 days from the date the disaster declaration was made, on …
Sunday, October 28, 2012
Impact of Hurricane Sandy expected spread over two days, bringing coastal surging, inland flooding and spot rainfalls of up to 12.
Hurricane Sandy's impact on weather along the coast and inland is expected to continue over two days, potentially bringing coastal surges of 6 to 11 feet, and rainfall of up to 12 inches at spots that could cause river and other inland flooding, federal officials said in a press conference on Sunday morning. No matter exactly where or when the hurricane makes landfall, Sandy is a large system that will create potentially life-threatening surges along hundreds of miles of coastline from North Carolina up to Cape Cod, according to spokespersons for the Federal Emergency Management Agency. The hurricane's effect, already being felt in the southern part of the mid-Atlantic, will last up to a day before and after the hurricane's actual arrival…
Saturday, October 27, 2012
Hurricane will bring a variety of hazards and up to 8 inches of rain as it wreaks havoc throughout East Coast, according to federal officials.
As Hurricane Sandy travels toward the East Coast, New Jersey residents should brace for a slow deterioration of the weather well before landfall early next week, according to officials from the Federal Emergency Management Agency. Additional damage from Sandy is expected, because the hurricane is expected to lose speed by the time it makes landfall. This will extend the period of heavy wind and rainfall, according to NOAA's National Hurricane Center Director Dr. Rick Knabb. Sandy is expected to bring between 5 and 8 inches of rain to the affected area, NOAA's National Centers for Environmental Prediction Director Dr. Louis Uccellini said. Between 50 and 60 million people will be impacted by Sandy well into next week. "It's difficult to …
Thursday, September 20, 2012
Borough officials said they hope to receive relief on school and county taxes for flood-prone homes being purchased with grants.
Westwood officials are hoping to convince the state to create tax relief legislation which will release the borough, and other New Jersey towns, from having to pay county and school taxes for properties purchased with flood relief grant money. The borough received more than $2 million in aid from FEMA and the state Department of Environmental Protection to buy and demolish flood-prone homes. The grants cannot be used to pay school and county taxes for the properties, but Westwood is responsible for paying the taxes in the year the homes are purchased, officials said during their meeting this week. Mayor John Birkner said Westwood is further along in the process than many towns, but he was not sure that the sales would be closed before the …
Thursday, July 19, 2012
The Westwood Council approved the funding during their meeting this week. The money was supplied by FEMA and the DEP.
As many as nine flood-prone homes in Westwood may be knocked down. The Westwood Council approved an ordinance appropriating more than $2 million to buy and demolish homes that have repeatedly been damaged by flooding during their meeting Tuesday. "Hopefully some people will be able to put their lives back together," Mayor John Birkner said. How many of the nine homes will actually purchased is still undecided. During their meeting, the council awarded a contract to Miller, Rinaldi & Co. to appraise the homes at a cost of $350 per property and $175 per hour if any additional work is required. The borough received a total of five bids for the project. Once the appraisals are done, officials will determine how many of the homes they can …
Monday, July 16, 2012
The council is scheduled to vote on an ordinance which will appropriate more than $2 million in grants to purchase flood-prone homes.
The Westwood Council is scheduled to vote on an ordinance which will set aside more than $2 million to buy flood-prone homes at their meeting this week. The borough received a total of $2,068,057 in grants from FEMA and the Department of Environmental Protection's Green Acres Program for the purchases. FEMA set aside $21 million for flood mitigation purchases in New Jersey after Hurricane Irene caused major flooding last year. The state added another $7 million for the project. Westwood officials previously said as many as nine homes could be purchased with the money, though they did not definitely know how many or which of the homes would be purchased with the money. The council is also scheduled to award a bid for appraisal services for …
Concerned
7:58 pm on Sunday, January 13, 2013
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