Trenton, NJ –The U.S. Department of Labor announced that it approved Governor Chris Christie’s request for eight (8) New Jersey counties to qualify for federal Disaster Unemployment Assistance as a result of the destruction caused by Hurricane Sandy.
This special assistance program pertains to people in and around portions of New Jersey that were declared a federal disaster area, including Atlantic, Cape May, Essex, Hudson, Middlesex, Monmouth, Ocean, and Union counties. Federal Disaster Unemployment Assistance (DUA) is available for persons, including self-employed individuals, who were living or working in the affected counties at the time of the disaster, and who are unemployed as a direct result of the damages caused by the storm.
At this time, the assistance is available only in connection with those areas declared a federal a disaster area, including Atlantic, Cape May, Essex, Hudson, Middlesex, Monmouth, Ocean, and Union counties. Additional counties may be added to the disaster declaration following continued damage assessments by local officials, representatives of the New Jersey Office of Emergency Management and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).
If you are unemployed because of the disaster that began on Oct. 28, you should FIRSTfile for unemployment insurance benefits through the Internet by going to www.njuifile.net.
The Internet processes claims faster. However, if needed, people may also file a claim by telephone by contacting the state Department of Labor’s Re-employment Call Centers at:
North Jersey (201) 601-4100
Central Jersey (732) 761-2020
South Jersey (856) 507-2340
A 30-day deadline ending December 3, 2012 is in effect for filing claims resulting from Hurricane Sandy.
For additional information regarding Disaster Unemployment Assistance or for FEMA services please call the FEMA emergency number at 1-800-621-FEMA (3362) or 1-800-462-7585 (TTY) for the hearing and speech impaired. Information is also available via the Internet at www.disasterassistance.govand www.fema.gov.
Declares State of Water Emergency, Authorizes DEP to Take Steps to Prevent Water Shortage
Trenton, NJ – Taking action to secure New Jersey’s water supplies while power restoration efforts continue at the state’s water supply facilities, Governor Chris Christie last night signed Executive Order 106, declaring a state of water emergency and authorizing the Department of Environmental Protection to implement water usage restrictions across the state. Ongoing power outages around the state have left some of the state’s water facilities operating on generators, bringing about the need for water conservation around the state as restoration efforts continue.
“We need to make sure our communities have access to clean water so that people can return to their homes and a sense of normalcy,” said Governor Christie. “The most important thing we can do right now for everyone is conserving water, while we restore power at our supply facilities and secure the supplies and availability of clean water to everyone who needs it. To that end, I’ve signed this executive order which establishes mandatory statewide water use restrictions to help ensure our water supplies are secure and we can help prevent a shortage. As a commonsense step, all of our residents should be mindful and conservative in the amount of water they are using while we get water back on and our water delivery systems completely secure.”
Executive Order 106 declares a state of water emergency resulting from the substantial damage of Hurricane Sandy, including significant disruption of the power generation necessary to maintain our State’s water supply. It also encourages cooperative efforts across the state to ensure sound water use, both inside and outside the home, will reduce consumption and thereby minimize the need for treatment and production that places additional strains on our State’s energy supply.
Department of Environmental Protection Commissioner Bob Martin today signed an administrative order that provides specific details of the mandatory water statewide use restrictions, which takes effect immediately.
“Although the state’s water supplies are not directly threatened at this time, significant compromises to the energy supply in the wake of Hurricane Sandy may negatively affect the ability to maintain the water supply network across the state dictating the need for all New Jersey residents to conserve water to the maximum extent possible,’’ said Commissioner Martin. “While this order details specific water use restrictions and prohibitions, every resident, visitor and business is urged to pitch in immediately reduce water consumption until we get past this critical situation. We need full and immediate cooperation.’’
The Administrative Order includes the following water use restrictions, prohibitions and exemptions:
· All indoor water use, including showers, baths and domestic cleaning, must be conducted with minimum amounts of water;
· Non-essential outdoor water use is prohibited;
· Watering of grass, lawns and landscapes is prohibited except for newly sodded or seeded areas done by professional landscapers or immediately following a commercial application of fertilizer, pesticide or herbicides; minimum amount of water should be used during these applications;
· Use of water for washing paved surfaces, such as streets, sidewalks, driveways, garages, parking lots and patios is prohibited;
· Outdoor use of water for ornamental or aesthetic purposes, including fountains, artificial waterfalls, and reflecting pools is prohibited, except to preserve or support wildlife
· Use of water for municipal street sweeping is allowed only with non-potable water and with minimal use necessary;
· Use of water for power washing of buildings is prohibited except for commercial enterprises engaged in power washing, and with minimum water use;
· Car and truck washing, except for emergency vehicles, is prohibited;
· Commercial car washing is allowed but with reduced rinse cycles and use of recycled water for pre-rinsing of vehicles;
· Cars and trucks at dealerships may only be washed just prior to delivery, with wash time limited to three minutes;
· Serving of water in restaurants, clubs, or other eating establishments is prohibited unless specifically requested by patrons.
Individuals and Business Invited to Drop-off Needed Items
LINCROFT, NJ – Monmouth County has established a donation site for desperately needed items to assist the victims affected by the devastation of Hurricane Sandy. The site has been set up at Thompson Park, 805 Newman Springs Road (Route 520) in Lincroft.
The donation center is located at the service entrance of the park. It is open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. to receive donated items.
Items needed include:
• Bottled Water
• Non perishable food
• Pet food
• New clothing
• Blankets
• Personal hygiene items including baby items
Thompson Park is a donation site only – no distribution will be made there. Items will be sorted and taken to three distribution sites in strategic areas in Monmouth County which will be announced as the items have arrived at those locations.
“This is a way for residents to help out during this time of need,” said Sheriff Shaun Golden. “Through this process, donations from those who were fortunate during Hurricane Sandy can assist those who were less fortunate.”
For monetary donations, please use your preferred non-profit organization.
Waiver of Licensing Requirement Makes It Easier to Meet New Jersey Fuel Needs
Trenton, NJ –In the wake of Hurricane Sandy, Governor Christie has acted to boost supplies of gasoline and diesel in New Jersey by directing Treasury officials to waive licensing requirements that affect merchants’ ability to buy fuel from out-of-state suppliers.
Under normal conditions, merchants not licensed to import fuel can’t legally buy gasoline and diesel from out of state and import it. The waiver, which will be in place until Nov. 7, will boost storm-depleted supplies by allowing all merchants temporarily to buy fuel from out of state for their New Jersey customers.
“When shortages threaten after natural disasters like Hurricane Sandy, fuel buyers need to venture farther from state borders to ensure that their customers get the gasoline and diesel they need,” Treasurer Andrew Sidamon-Eristoff said.“Temporarily suspending licensing is a prudent way of empowering merchants to buy fuel farther from the state line, boosting supplies for New Jersey motorists who need fuel to get to work and do their jobs.”
Fuel merchants who buy fuel from out of state who aren’t currently licensed importers will have to document their purchases and pay required New Jersey taxes. Fuel merchants who import must fill out form MFA-12 available at the following link to register their purchases and calculate taxes: http://www.state.nj.us/treasury/taxation/pdf/other_forms/motorfuel/mfa12.pdf Any questions can be addressed to the New Jersey Division of Taxation at (609) 633-8536.
Gasoline and diesel fuel supplies have tightened across the East Coast as the major pipelines and refineries in the Northeast shut down during Hurricane Sandy. Power outages and hurricane related damage are delaying efforts to restart fuel production equipment
80% of New Jersey’s Statewide Bus System Restored, Including Service to New York’s Port Authority Bus Terminal
Trenton, NJ – The Christie Administration announced that the majority of NJ TRANSIT bus service will be restored effective Thursday, November 1, as part of the Administration’s ongoing storm assessment and restoration efforts related to NJ TRANSIT.
Additionally, the Christie Administration announced that limited Access Linkparatransit service will also resume on Thursday.
Tomorrow’s service restoration comes on the heels of the Administration’s earlier announcement that River Line light rail service resumed operations at 3 p.m. today, making trips every 30 minutes between the Walter Rand Transportation Center in Camden and Trenton Transit Center.
“This is tremendous progress,” said Transportation Commissioner and NJ TRANSIT Board Chairman James Simpson. “We are not out of the woods by any stretch, but we will continue working around the clock to further restore service where we can safely do so. On behalf of the entire NJ TRANSIT family, we appreciate the patience and understanding of our customers during this difficult time.”
Due to significant damage to the State’s public transportation network, NJ TRANSIT rail service will remain suspended until further notice. Newark Light Rail and Hudson Bergen Light Rail service also remain suspended until further notice.
Bus Service:
Starting tomorrow, November 1, NJ TRANSIT will restore bus service on 68 bus routes in northern New Jersey and 18 bus routes in southern New Jersey, providing service over the entire routes with no detours or truncations. For a complete list, visit njtransit.com.
Also tomorrow, NJ TRANSIT will restore partial service on 58 bus routes in northern New Jersey and 17 routes in southern New Jersey that will operate with detours or truncations due to ongoing impacts from Hurricane Sandy. For details, visit njtransit.com
Bus service on routes not listed remains suspended until further notice. Power outages in local communities have resulted in the loss of traffic control devices critical to safe operation in some areas. Downed tree limbs and power lines continue to make many roads impassable. Personnel are in the field reviewing and assessing these conditions in order to ensure that service is restored as soon as it becomes safe to do so.
Rail Service:
There is no estimated time for the resumption of service. Service will remain suspended until further notice. Crews continue to inspect the rail infrastructure to get a full assessment of damage:
NJ TRANSIT’s Rail Operations Center—the central nervous system of the railroad—was engulfed in water, which damaged backup power supply systems, the emergency generator, and the computer system that controls the movement of trains and power supply.
Local power outages have prevented NJ TRANSIT rail operations from being able to further test crossing gates and operating signals.
Hundreds of downed trees have fallen across the rail system, which have caused damage to overhead wires and signal wires.
There are rail washouts across the system, including on the North Jersey Coast Line, Atlantic City Rail Line as well as at Kearny Junction, the critical link which enables MidTOWN Direct service to access the Northeast Corridor.
Several rail stations have sustained flood damage, including Hoboken Terminal.
Morgan Drawbridge on the North Jersey Coast Line in South Amboy sustained damage from boats and a trailer that collided into the bridge.
Light Rail Service:
River Line resumed service starting at 3 p.m. today, operating every 30 minutes between Walter Rand Transportation Center in Camden and Trenton Transit Center. Service remains suspended between Walter Rand Transportation Center and the Entertainment Center due to an ongoing power outage in downtown Camden.
Hudson-Bergen Light Rail, Newark Light Rail service will remain suspended until further notice. There is currently no estimated time for resumption of service. Crews continue to inspect the light rail infrastructure to get a full assessment of damage.
Newark Light Rail sustained flooding in Newark Penn Station, as well as major debris damage between Newark Penn and Branch Brook Park stations.
Hudson-Bergen Light Rail experienced track washouts at Port Imperial and West Side Avenue stations, as well as trees in the overhead wire in Weehawken and flooding in Hoboken.
Access Link:
Access Link service will resume tomorrow, November 1, in the following regions:
Region 2, which includes Burlington, Camden, Cumberland, Gloucester and Salem counties.
Region 3, which includes Atlantic, Cape May and Southern Ocean County.
Service Updates:
For the latest travel information, customers should listen to broadcast traffic reports, visit or access NJ TRANSIT’s Twitter feed at @NJ_TRANSIT. Additionally, NJ TRANSIT will provide the most current service information via the My Transit alert system (www.njtransit.com/mytransit), which delivers travel advisories for your specific trip to your cell phone, PDA or pager. Service information is also available by calling (973) 275-5555.
