Toms River Will Receive $3.6 Million In Hurricane Sandy Aid

Toms River will recieve $3.6 million in Hurricane Sandy recovery aid grants, according to U.S. Senators Frank R. Lautenberg and Robert Menendez.

Both senators announced that Toms River, the New Jersey Department of Military Affairs, East Brunswick, and Eagleswood Township will receive more than $9.2 million in Sandy aid to reimburse the municipalities and State for emergency measures taken as a result of Superstorm Sandy.

The federal funding is provided through the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).

“New Jersey’s local and state officials jumped into action to provide a host of emergency measures when Sandy struck—from cleaning up debris and conducting search and rescue operations to providing food and repairing public buildings.

"This federal funding will reimburse Garden State communities for the costs of those efforts,” said Lautenberg, a member of the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Homeland Security, which funds FEMA. “We’ll keep fighting to make sure the federal government continues to be there for our towns and cities as they rebuild and recover.”

“New Jersey’s recovery from Superstorm Sandy began with the initial response to the storm by the people on the front lines in our communities, utilities and agencies. These critical reimbursements to Toms River, East Brunswick, Eagleswood Township and the New Jersey Department of Military affairs help put New Jersey further down the road to full recovery from Superstorm Sandy,” said Menendez, who helped lead the New Jersey delegation’s fight for federal Sandy relief. “I greatly appreciate this funding from FEMA, which comes as New Jersey is approaching the start of its summer tourism season.  I will continue fighting for the federal resources we need to help all New Jersey communities rebuild even better and stronger than before the storm.” 

The four federal grants, which total $9,255,994.21, are broken down as follows:

• Toms River will receive a $3,618,835.31 grant for the cost of debris cleanup as a result of Superstorm Sandy.
• The New Jersey Department of Military Affairs will receive a $3,384,297.56 grant for the costs of search and rescue operations, the deployment of security forces, sandbagging, and the provision of food, water, ice and other essential needs as a result of Superstorm Sandy.
• East Brunswick will receive a $1,149,493.59 grant for the cost of debris cleanup as a result of Superstorm Sandy.
• Eagleswood Township will receive a $1,103,367.75 grant for the costs of repairing damage to a wastewater treatment facility caused by Superstorm Sandy. 

Federal reimbursement under this program is available to state and local governments for debris cleanup and essential repairs to public infrastructure, as well as for a variety of protective measures, including conducting search and rescue operations, providing security forces such as police and guards, providing shelter or emergency care, sandbagging, securing damaged buildings and homes, providing essential needs like food and water, carrying out emergency repairs and demolitions, and removing health and safety hazards.

In January, the President signed the Superstorm Sandy Supplemental Appropriations bill into law, bringing the total Sandy aid enacted by Congress to $60.2 billion.  The funding package included federal aid to help homeowners, businesses, and communities recover, and resources to rebuild coastal, transportation, and clean water infrastructure.