FEMA Reps Will Be In Ortley Over Next Month

FEMA representatives will be in Ortley, the northern beaches and on the mainland for the next month, according to Toms River officials.

All FEMA reps are wearing vests and will have ID, according to the township.

According the township's website, based on phone calls to the mayor’s office, "it came to our attention that some barrier island residents have decided not to allow access to the FEMA inspectors who are inspecting properties damaged by the storm, as required by federal law and regulation."

"Although that is certainly their prerogative, we need to let the residents know that is probably not in their best interest since the FEMA inspectors may be left with little choice but to assume that the properties they cannot gain access to suffered more damage than they actually did. That would clearly not be in the best interest of the property owners."

According to the township, FEMA officials are there to assess the damage on homes for mainly two reasons:

1-So the Township can continue its eligibility in the NFIP, or National Flood Insurance Program. Without this, Toms River residents would not be able to get new mortgages that require flood insurance, leaving many residents unable to sell their home. Also, existing mortgages which have requirements that the owner maintain flood insurance, would become void.

2-The FEMA assessments are being done to protect each homeowner, especially those who have already begun renovations on their homes. Basically, your flood insurance could be voided if you decide to rebuild without a permit, and this inspection will help the homeowner who doesn’t realize the safety aspect of having a permit on certain types of projects, such as rebuilding.  For more on permit guidelines, visit our website link, “Permit guidelines for storm-damaged homes.”