In the two-and-a-half years since Superstorm Sandy, while the Garden State has struggled to recover, many people have puzzled over the question of why New Jersey has received substantially less federal aid than New York, even though both states suffered roughly the same amount of damage — close to $37 billion. Much of the focus has… Read the rest of this entry »
Posted: July 9th, 2015 | Author: admin | Filed under: Chris Christie, Christie Administration, Community Development Block Grant, Department of Community Affairs, EPA, FEMA, Hurricane Sandy, Monmouth County News, Superstorm Sandy | Tags: Chris Christie, Christie Administration, Community Development Block Grants, EPA, FEMA, HUD, Hurricane Sandy, Monmouth County News, New Jersey, New York, RREM grants, Superstorm Sandy | 1 Comment »
Today, Jon Bon Jovi is hosting a $1,000-a-plate fundraiser for Hillary Clinton in his French Chateau overlooking the Navesink River. It’s a mile from Jyll Jakes’ neighborhood in Sea Bright, where every other house remains boarded up. “It’s a still mess down here. I think people have forgotten how bad it is,” said Jakes, who credits… Read the rest of this entry »
Posted: June 29th, 2015 | Author: admin | Filed under: 2016 Presidential Politics, Chris Christie, FEMA, Flooding, Hurricane Sandy, Monmouth County, Monmouth County News, New Jersey, Superstorm Sandy | Tags: 2016 Presidential politics, Al Schupp, Chris Christie, FEMA, George Kasimos, Highlands, Hillary Clinton, Hurricane Sandy, Jon Bon Jovi, Jyll Jakes, NFIP, Sea Bright, Stop FEMA Now, Superstorm Sandy | 1 Comment »
Sandy Maglio and her husband Louis stand on the back deck of their home in Beach Haven West, which was damaged during Sandy. Sitting with her husband on the back deck of their home on a quiet cul-de-sac in the Beach Haven West section of Stafford Township, Sandy Maglio looks out on a channel where her…
Posted: June 12th, 2015 | Author: admin | Filed under: FEMA, Hurricane Sandy, Monmouth County News, National Flood Insurance Plan, New Jersey, Superstorm Sandy | Tags: FEMA, RREM, RREM grants, Superstorm Sandy | Comments Off on RREM’d again: Some Sandy Victims Have Second Thoughts About Reopening Insurance Claims
FEMA Official Brad Kiesrman is leaving the agency for a job with the American Red Cross
WASHINGTON — The U.S. government let victims of Hurricane Sandy down as it failed to provide adequate compensation for their damages, the outgoing head of the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s national flood insurance program told a House committee Tuesday. “We are settling claims. we are reviewing claims, and we are going to reform this program,” said… Read the rest of this entry »
Posted: June 2nd, 2015 | Author: admin | Filed under: Hurricane Sandy, Monmouth County News, National Flood Insurance Plan, New Jersey, Superstorm Sandy | Tags: Brad J. Kieserman, Brad Kieserman, FEMA, Hurricane Sandy, Monmouth County News, Superstorm Sandy | Comments Off on FEMA official: Government let Hurricane Sandy victims down
Brad J. Kieserman, the federal official assigned to reform the National Flood Insurance Plan and to re-open thousands of Superstorm Sandy related claims amid allegations that thousands of homeowners were short changed, has resigned his post in order to take a job at the Red Cross, according to a report on Newsday.
A 28 year employee of the federal government, Kieserman took on the reform of NFIP only 3 months ago in February. FEMA annouced four months ago that it would settle every disputed case but only about a dozen checks have been issued.
Appearing in Hoboken last week with U.S. Senators Bob Menendez and Cory Booker, as well as Highlands residents Kerry and Jamie Gowan who where representing the 70,000 New Jersey residents with claims to be reviewed by FEMA, Kieserman pledged that the government would do better in the tasks of “people caring for people.”
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Posted: June 2nd, 2015 | Author: Art Gallagher | Filed under: FEMA, Hurricane Sandy, Monmouth County News, New Jersey, RREM, Superstorm Sandy | Tags: Brad J. Kieserman, Brad Kieserman, FEMA, FEMA's fraud, HUD, Jamie Gowan, Kerry Gowan, National Flood Insurance Plan, NFIP, Senator Bob Menendez, Senator Cory Booker, Shaun Donovan, Superstorm Sandy | 1 Comment »
Kerry and Jamie Gowan of Highlands appeared in Hoboken today with U.S. Senators Bob Menendez and Cory Booker as the legislators announced the reopening of thousands of flood insurance claims related to Superstorm Sandy.
Kerry spoke to the gathered press about her family’s ordeal swimming from their home on October 29, 2012, and the nightmare that has multiplied since. She said her flood insurance claim paid about half of what the family was due.
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Posted: May 29th, 2015 | Author: Art Gallagher | Filed under: FEMA, Highlands, Hurricane Sandy, NJTV, Superstorm Sandy | Tags: Bob Menendez, Brad Kieserman, Cory Booker, FEMA, Hurricane Sandy, Jamie Gowan, Kerry Gowan, Superstorm Sandy | Comments Off on Highlands Couple Represents Sandy Victims Cheated By Flood Insurance Adjusters
Amid the stress and confusion in the immediate aftermath of Superstorm Sandy, residents of coastal communities found themselves struggling to comprehend their losses and how to begin to put things back together. They contacted their insurance companies to file flood claims — but many of them didn’t fully understand the process or their rights. “What happened… Read the rest of this entry »
Posted: May 11th, 2015 | Author: admin | Filed under: FEMA, Flooding, Hurricane Sandy, Monmouth County, Monmouth County News, National Flood Insurance Plan, Superstorm Sandy | Tags: FEMA, Flood Insurance Claims, Superstorm Sandy | Comments Off on Feds Probe Why Sandy Victims Were Shortchanged on Flood-Insurance Claims
WASHINGTON — The first of an estimated 141,800 Hurricane Sandy victims will receive letters next month asking whether they want to reopen their damage claims, a top Federal Emergency Management Agency official said Tuesday. Brad Kieserman, the deputy associate administrator who oversees the federal flood insurance program, said the letters will begin going out in May… Read the rest of this entry »
Posted: April 28th, 2015 | Author: admin | Filed under: FEMA, Hurricane Sandy, Monmouth County, Monmouth County News, New Jersey, Superstorm Sandy | Tags: Craig Fugate, FEMA, Hurricance Sandy, Senator Bob Menendez, Senator Cory Booker, Superstorm Sandy | Comments Off on FEMA will soon contact Sandy homeowners who may want to reopen their damage claims
WASHINGTON — All 12 of New Jersey’s U.S. House members called Friday for congressional hearings on the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s response to allegations of fraud in payouts to Hurricane Sandy victims. The members asked the House Oversight and Government Reform Chairman to convene a hearing to look at how FEMA handled charges that insurance companies… Read the rest of this entry »
Posted: April 18th, 2015 | Author: admin | Filed under: Chris Smith, Congress, FEMA, Hurricane Sandy, Superstorm Sandy | Tags: Congressman Chris Smith, Congressman Tom MacArthur, FEMA, Fraud, House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, NJ Congressional Delegation | Comments Off on N.J. delegation seeks congressional hearings on FEMA payments to Hurricane Sandy victims
WASHINGTON — A key U.S. House committee voted Wednesday to limit to three years the time the Federal Emergency Management Agency can demand repayments from disaster victims. The restriction was included in legislation reauthorizing the agency, which passed the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee and now goes to the House floor. The three-year limit does not… Read the rest of this entry »
Posted: April 16th, 2015 | Author: admin | Filed under: Congress, FEMA | Tags: Congressman Chris Smith, Congressman Tom MacArthur, FEMA, House of Representatives, Superstorm Sandy | Comments Off on Lawmakers vote to limit FEMA’s ability to demand repayments from disaster victims