Smith Announces $3.8 Million in Sandy Recovery Reimbursements

Congressman Chris Smith and Monmouth County Shaun Golden prepared to survey Hurricane Sandy damage. file photo

Congressman Chris Smith (R-NJ4) announced that FEMA will be reimbursing the Borough of Belmar and the South Monmouth Regional Sewerage Authority (SMRSA) 90%, instead of the standard 75%, of the cost of repairs to infrastructure damaged by Superstorm Sandy.  Belmar is slated to receive $1.74 million for repairs to marina buildings, bridges, docks and other facilities, in addition to the $9 million already granted for their boardwalk replacement.  SMRSA will receive $2.083 million to relocate and replace a pump station.

“As someone who has been going to Belmar since I was a young boy, I can easily envision how these improvements will change the Belmar waterfront which was nearly unrecognizable to me when I first saw it days after Superstorm Sandy hit,” said Smith.  “Boardwalks and marina facilities are the critical for many Jersey Shore towns and rebuilding them and restoring them is essential to recovery.”

The Belmar grant will help fund nine construction sites, four of which are completed and the others underway.

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Homeowners Hit By Sandy Get More Time to Appeal Settlements

Homeowners Hit By Sandy Get More Time to Appeal Settlements (via NJSpotlight)

Sandy survivors still battling over their flood insurance claims will now have more time to appeal their settlements. In a bulletin issued yesterday FEMA announced it will extend for another six months the period for Sandy-impacted homeowners to file…

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FEMA Continues to Discriminate Against Churches and Synagogues Devastated by Superstorm Sandy

WASHINGTON, DC – “It has been five long months since the House overwhelmingly passed my legislation to ensure that houses of worship are no longer discriminated against under Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) rules,”  said Rep. Chris Smith, author of H.R. 592, the “Federal Disaster Assistance Nonprofit Fairness Act of 2013.”

“When a bill passes the House by such a strong, bipartisan margin of 354-72, it is hoped that the Senate will work aggressively to send it to the President’s desk.  The legislation is desperately needed to put fairness back into our disaster relief programs.

“I welcome the bipartisan efforts of Senators Kirsten Gillebrand (D-NY) and Roy Blunt (R-MO) in their introduction of a Senate companion bill, S. 1274, this week and I am delighted and encouraged that New Jersey Sen. Jeff Chiesa has signed on as well. I am confident their leadership will help break the log jam and bring equity to the program.”

Smith, who has personally met with Senators Tom Carper and Tom Coburn, the chair and ranking member of the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Government Affairs, said that they each raised some concerns that Smith believed could be easily addressed in a bill markup session. Having a companion bill will hopefully help show support in the Senate and advance the issue. Smith also met with FEMA head Craig Fugate to discuss the bill and the current unfair treatment of houses of worship compared to other non-profits.

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FEMA Makes A Deal With Russian Emergency Ministry

By Art Gallagher

Photo courtesy of The Ministry of Russian Federation for Civil Defense, Emergencies and Consequences of Natural Disasters

During the immediate aftermath of Superstorm Sandy, it gave me and my neighbors great comfort when we were greeted by State Police Officers from Mississippi and Illinois when were coming back to Highlands.  It felt good to know that fellow Americans from far away were here for us in our time of need;  that trained police and other first responders were here to protect our lives and property along side our local police and first responders.

I’m not sure I would have felt as comforted if I had to pass through a checkpoint manned by armed Russian soldiers or police to get to my home.

That could happen in future disasters under an agreement that FEMA signed with the Russian Emergency Ministry last week, according to a press release by EMERCOM of Russian.

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Congressman Chris Smith: FEMA OK’s 90% Reimbursements For Towns Hit By Superstorm Sandy

FEMA Administrator Craig Fugate, left, and Congressman Chris Smith, center, meet with their staff members in Smith’s office on June 6, 2013

FEMA will be reimbursing New Jersey towns impacted by Superstorm Sandy 90% of their cleanup and rebuilding costs, Congressman Chris Smith (R-NJ4) announced on Tuesday evening.

The approval will provide an immediate and additional $262 million for already obligated funding and it will cover all additional local government approved funding.  Funds will cover: Public Assistance Grant emergency work and permanent work including debris removal; emergency protective measures; road systems and bridges; water control facilities; buildings; contents and equipment; utilities, and; parks.

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New Flood Maps Released

FEMA has updated its Base Flood Elevation maps for Atlantic, Hudson, Monmouth and Ocean counties.

Residents and businesses can enter the address of their properties and find their flood zone designation, the base flood elevation for the property and the estimated ground elevation of the location.

The interactive map site can be found here or by clicking on the picture.

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Report: New flood maps to be released on Monday

Middletown Patch is reporting that FEMA will release new flood maps for Atlantic, Hudson, Monmouth and Ocean Counties on Monday, June 17.

As expected, the new ‘preliminary’ maps will result in less homes being located in ‘V’ zones than were so rated in the maps released by FEMA in December following Superstorm Sandy.  V zones are areas along coasts that are subject to inundation by the 1-percent-annual-chance flood event with additional hazards associated with storm-induced waves.

Many of the properties located in V zones in the December flood maps will be in ‘A’ zones in the maps being released next week, according to a statement by U.S. Senator Bob Menendez as quoted by Patch.

A zones are also subject to the 1-percent annual-change flood event (100 year flood) but without the additional hazards from waves.

Homes in A zones will not have to be raised as high and homes in V zones and will have lower flood insurance premiums.

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Sea Bright Man Charged With Defrauding Storm Assistance Program

William Nagle of Sea Bright got a certificate of occupancy for his Center Street apartment on December 29th, yet continued to charge FEMA for 68 nights of hotel stays from January 14 through March 23, according to charges filed by the Monmouth County Prosecutor’s Office.

Nagle was arrested and charged Wednesday with third degree Theft by Deception for defrauding FEMA of more than $12,000 in Transitional Aid Housing.

“Being a victim does not open the door to defraud the government in times of need. We can all pull together in times of crisis to help one another, but that combined effort to aid and assist comes with the understanding that no one will take advantage of the situation,” Acting Prosecutor Christopher J Gramiccioni said.

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Christie: The Jersey Shore Is Open For Business

Governor Christie meeting with business owners at McLoone’s Pier House in Long Branch, April 18, 2013. Photo by Art Gallagher

After meeting with business owners in Long Branch yesterday, Governor Chris Christie told the press that the businesses’ biggest frustration is the amount of phone calls they get asking if they are open.  “They’re happy that at least the phone is ringing,” said Christie, emphasizing that the perception that the Shore is not open has to be impacted.

Christie said that there would be a multi-media ad campaign launch by the Economic Development Authority next month to promote Jersey Shore Tourism.  It has not been determined if Christie will appear in the aid. “I haven’t been asked. If I’m asked and I think it is appropriate I will consider it,” the governor said in response to a reporter who asked if he would appear in the state funded ad during the gubernatorial campaign season.

The governor said that EDA would be announcing a working capital grant program for businesses impacted by Superstorm Sandy in May and that the Department of Community Affairs will be administering a grant program for homeowners who can apply for up to $150,000 in federal money, over and above what they have already received from FEMA and their insurance companies to rebuild their homes.

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Christie At Manasquan Town Hall: FEMA will issue less severe elevation maps

Governor Chris Christie told a Manasquan Town Hall crowd of approximately 1200* that he expects FEMA will release an expedited set of flood elevation maps in “a few months” that will ease the height requirements from the Advisory Maps published in December, according to The Star Ledger.

Christie said he adopted the recommendations in FEMA’s advisory maps earlier this year for those who need guidelines now on how to rebuild. For those who can wait to rebuild, a new set of maps should be out “in a few more months” that he said will be less “aggressive” in placing homes in flood zones.

“I’m confident the maps are going to change,” he said to a crowd of more than 300 in the Manasquan High School gym. “The only thing I’m not confident about is when.”

* MMM has learned from someone at the Town Hall that the crowd was approximately 1200, not the 300 originally reported by The Star Ledger.

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