Essex County added as FEMA disaster area after NJ Ida damages – New Jersey 101.5 FM
Another hard-hit county in North Jersey has been added as a federal disaster area, clearing the way for emergency funding to be distributed to residents and businesses.
On Wednesday, Essex County Executive Joseph DiVincenzo announced that Essex County had been declared a disaster area.
He previously shared photos to Facebook of FEMA officials as they toured parts of Millburn, Newark, Bloomfield, South Orange and Nutley to survey the damage.
The first six counties in the state declared major disaster areas following Ida were Gloucester, Hunterdon, Middlesex, Somerset, Passaic and Bergen.
Federal Emergency Management Agency administrator Deanne Criswell said on Tuesday that more than 7,000 families already had applied for individual assistance, adding “That number will continue to grow.”
FEMA staff were doing assessments in Essex, Hudson, Union and Mercer counties, Criswell continued, “to really get a better understanding of the scope of the impact that communities are experiencing across New Jersey.”
People in those designated counties can register at disasterassistance.gov, through the FEMA app or by calling 1-800-621-FEMA, or 1-800-621-3362.
The state also has a “landing place” website, NJ.gov/Ida, for residents dealing with storm damages in counties not yet under a FEMA declaration.
With previous reporting by Michael Symons
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