NEW BRUNSWICK, NJ—To assist with rebuilding from the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy, New Brunswick’s Congressional representative Frank Pallone Jr. announced on Friday that New Brunswick will be receiving a $1,066,166 grant from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).
The grant will cover “costs related to search and rescue operations, evacuations, and securing temporary facilities needed as a result of Superstorm Sandy,” according to a press release.
In addition to covering the removal of debris and use of emergency generators, the funds will also help compensate for “the additional police and firefighters needed to provide security at damaged facilities and shelters and to provide traffic control where signals and signs were damaged.”
Pallone said the funds will offset the financial weight on the city since it should not be in a position to endure the expenses alone.
“Communities were required to front unanticipated costs to keep residents safe before and after the storm, but they shouldn’t have to bear the entire burden of the cost,” said Pallone in the press release.
“It’s been almost six months since Sandy hit, but communities and cities are far from fully recovered,” he said. “I know that this funding will go a long way for New Brunswick.”
The city of New Brunswick released a statement earlier this month saying FEMA will be visiting the city in order to examine some the buildings and their damages incurred by Sandy.
“The FEMA teams will be surveying these properties to collect data that will help FEMA understand why these structures are vulnerable to flooding and damages and what mitigation measures may be feasible to protect them from future damages,” the statement said.
The support from FEMA comes after Pallone introduced a bill earlier this month requiring $193 million of federal funds for both New York and New Jersey’s fishing industry, according to a report on NJ.com.
Pallone said in a press release that fishing plays a significant role in our economy and expects the bill to “bring much needed aid to New Jersey fishermen.”
Charlie is the founder and editor of New Brunswick Today, and the winner of the Awbrey Award for Community-Oriented Local Journalism. He is a proud Rutgers University journalism graduate, a community organizer, and a former independent candidate for mayor of New Brunswick.
