How Superstorm Sandy Created a New Breed of NJ Online Citizen Journalists on Facebook (via NJ Tech Weekly)
During Sandy, Bob “Weatherman” Burger kept people informed. | Courtesy Bob Burger October 29, 2012 — call it “the night the lights went out in Jersey,” literally. That’s when Superstorm Sandy roared up the East Coast as a hurricane, made…
Christie conditionally vetoes Sandy ‘Bill of Rights’ (via NJ.com)
TRENTON — Gov. Chris Christie today stripped down a bill drafted in response to concerns about how well the state has distributed federal Hurricane Sandy relief aid, saying it included mandates that would be impossible to implement and featured “partisan…
NJ has distributed less than 25 percent of Sandy aid (via NJ.com)
About a year after the federal government allocated $1.8 billion to New Jersey to rebuild after Hurricane Sandy, the state has distributed less than a quarter of the disaster relief aid, according to a new report. State officials, however, claim they…
Belmar’s Sandy debris removal costs questioned by federal auditors (via NJ.com)
Federal auditors are questioning more than $500,000 in Hurricane Sandy debris removal costs in Belmar, saying the town awarded two contracts that did not comply with federal rules and lacked paperwork to support other expenses. The Department of Homeland…
FEMA extends flood insurance filing deadline by 6 months (via NJ.com)
Homeowners filing flood insurance claims from damage caused by Hurricane Sandy now have more time to submit paperwork supporting their cases. The Federal Emergency Management Agency — which oversees the National Flood Insurance Program — is extending…
Chris Christie promotes Jersey Shore summer, aims not to fight on boardwalk (via NJ.com)
SEASIDE HEIGHTS — Gov. Chris Christie said Friday that his family’s summer plans include plenty of time at the Jersey Shore. Just don’t expect to catch him arguing on the boardwalk, he said. The governor visited Seaside Heights on Friday to survey…
RAINE Foundation volunteers in Union Beach, November 2012. Click for larger view.
During the first week of November, 2012 Tim Mills was alone working on cleaning up what remained of his Union Beach home. He was making very little progress. His home was badly damaged and he felt there was no way possible for his family could return to the shambles or overcome the devastation. “I was in a very dark and desperate place emotionally that day, ” Mills recalled.
Mills noticed a group of at least 20 men and women walking down the street, approaching his home. He was scared, fearing they were looters coming to steal what little he had left. One of the group pulled the family’s American flag from the muddy debris that used to be the front lawn.
“Who the hell are you?” Mills shouted at the group. “We are from RAINE. We here to help,” the team leader responded. Mills stood in silence as the man, a U.S. Marine, who pulled his flag out of the mud draped it over the furniture that was drying out on his lawn.
“It was at that point that I didn’t feel alone or lost any more. I felt like somehow, we were going to be OK. That team saved my life that day.”
Mills donated his flag to RAINE (Reaching All In Need Everyday). Since then the volunteers that lead the non-profit have put the flag on tour as a symbol of leadership, perseverance and strength in the face of adversity.
Posted: April 25th, 2014 | Author: Art Gallagher | Filed under: RAINE Foundation, Superstorm Sandy | Tags: Joe Kyrillos, Raine Foundation, Sen Joe Kyrillos, Superstorm Sandy | Comments Off on RAINE Foundation passes the flag to KyrillosBy Art Gallagher, [email protected]
The Obama Administration is considering holding a contest for areas impacted by disasters other than Superstorm Sandy. The “winners” would get between $1 billion and $2 billion of the remaining $3.6 billion is Sandy relief dollars being doled out by the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), according to a story first reported by the Wall Street Journal
The Record reports that New Jersey Congressmen Bill Pascrell Jr., D-Paterson; Albio Sires, D-West New York; and Frank Pallone, D-Long Branch, and Sen. Bob Menendez are urging HUD Secretary Shaun Donovan not to divert federal aid to projects in other parts of the country. Members of the New York Congressional Delegation are making similar pleas.
Bookerism of the Day
Where’s Senator Cory Booker? He’s proselytizing on twitter.
Sires told The Record that the entire New Jersey delegation could join together in opposition to a nationwide contest for the money. That would be great! Sires should lead the Democrats in the delegation in ending the partisanship that has been dominating the discourse over Sandy recovery and sign the letter to Donovan and Michael Boots, the Acting Chair of the White House Council on Environmental Quality that Congressman Chris Smith invited him, and all members of the delegation to sign requesting a meeting to hash out the multitude of issues New Jersey residents are having with the HUD relief process.
Posted: April 24th, 2014 | Author: Art Gallagher | Filed under: Chris Smith, Cory Booker, Hurricane Sandy, Superstorm Sandy | Tags: Bookerism of the day, Chris Smith, Congressman Albio Sires, Congressman Chris Smith, Cory Booker, Frank Pallone, HUD, HUD Secretary Shaun Donovan, Michael Boots, Obama Administration, Superstorm Sandy, White House | 1 Comment »
Resident Engineer Paul Jalowski with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, New York District, discusses how the elevation of a wide beach berm reduces coastal risks to communities behind them at the site of the Belmar to Manasquan beach renourishment project with U.S. Representative Chris Smith and local officials in Manasquan, N.J. Nov 7, 2013
Congressman Chris Smith announced this afternoon that the U.S. Army Corp of Engineers has completed a $25 million Southern Monmouth County beach replenishment project in Belmar. The five mile stretch of beach including Manasquan, Spring Lake, Sea Girt and Belmar was severely eroded by Superstorm Sandy. The project, which started in November 7, 2013 nourished the beaches to better conditions than existed pre-Sandy.
“I stood on what was left of the beaches in the days after Superstorm Sandy and the immense scope of the damage was a hard to take in,” said Smith, who worked to obtain Sandy recovery funding and hosted a groundbreaking in Manasquan Nov. 7. “The beaches and dunes which offered protection to the shore communities were washed away—leaving the towns vulnerable to future storms. Thankfully, the Army Corps of Engineers has now rebuilt the beaches in Belmar, Sea Girt, Spring Lake and Manasquan to continue the protections they provide for homes and lives.”
The project is funded 100 percent by the federal government through the Army Corps’ Flood Control and Coastal Emergencies (FCCE) account. The project pumped an estimated 1.3 million cubic yards of sand onto the shoreline.
Posted: April 23rd, 2014 | Author: Art Gallagher | Filed under: Army Corp of Engineers, Chris Smith, Monmouth County, Superstorm Sandy | Tags: Army Corp of Engineers, Beach replenishment, Congressman Chris Smith, Jersey Shore, Monmouth County, US Army Corp of Engineers | Comments Off on Beach Replenishment Project Completed In BelmarNew Jersey’s economy should be booming with reconstruction. It isn’t.
There should be hundreds of construction workers in Highlands, Union Beach, Sea Bright and other Sandy impacted communities every day. They are not working and don’t look to be anytime soon.
Short changed by insurance companies/the National Flood Insurance Plan. Arduous applications for aid followed by red tape, bureaucratic incompetence and rules that halt rebuilding. Expensive and time consuming zoning approvals to rebuild what was there before. Pleas for help are answered with finger pointing between bureaucrats at different levels of government who are getting paid for their bullshit and going home every night.
“GO, GO, GO, REBUILD, you’ll get reimbursed,” we were told after the storm. We trusted our government. They lied.
Posted: April 23rd, 2014 | Author: Art Gallagher | Filed under: #STTS, FEMA, National Flood Insurance Plan, Superstorm Sandy | Tags: #STTS, FEMA, Highlands, National Flood Insurance Plan, Sea Bright, Stronger than the storm, Superstorm Sandy, Union Beach | Comments Off on Stronger than the storm?© Copyright 2025 | MoreMonmouthMusings | All Rights Reserved