NEWARK, NJ – U.S. Sens. Bob Menendez and Cory Booker announced on Friday, Sept. 16, the Department of Homeland Security’s Federal Emergency Management Agency has awarded $8,260,282 in federal funding to New Jersey’s Department of Transportation, in order to reimburse local authorities for snow removal costs accrued during the severe Winter Storm and Snowstorm Jonas of January 2016.
“This disaster funding will go a long way to help recover some of the costs accrued by local authorities as they promptly serviced roads in hard-hit communities ravaged by Winter Storm Jonas,” said Menendez. “New Jersey residents and business owners suffered big losses, due to Jonas’ devastation, but I saw first-hand how we were able to pull ourselves back up and jump start our recovery by ensuring roads were serviceable in the immediate aftermath of the storm. That is why I will continue to fight in Congress to make our communities more resilient and more ready to deal with future natural disasters.”
“As communities across New Jersey continue to face tightening budgets and growing snow removal costs, this federal funding couldn’t come at a better time,” said Booker. “I visited many of the communities impacted by this winter’s blizzard and I know how important this federal investment is to making them whole again.”
Menendez and Booker led the full New Jersey Congressional delegation in a letter to President Barack Obama urging his administration to support the state’s request for a major disaster declaration for 17 of New Jersey’s 21 counties impacted by Winter Storm Jonas. Granted on Monday, March 14, this declaration authorized snow assistance for a period of 48 hours for the counties of Bergen, Burlington, Camden, Essex, Hudson, Hunterdon, Mercer, Middlesex, Monmouth, Morris, Ocean, Somerset, Union and Warren. Finally, this declaration made Hazard Mitigation Grant Program assistance requested by the governor available for hazard mitigation measures statewide.
In the aftermath of the storm, the senators also toured hard-hit areas in Sea Isle City and Atlantic City along the Jersey Shore. Both communities experienced extensive flooding, property damage and beach erosion.
More than $8 million announced for Winter Storm Jonas recovery efforts added by Editor on
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