Politics & Government

Toms River Receives $4.5 Million Toward Sandy Costs

Senators Frank Lautenberg and Robert Menendez announced federal funding to assist Toms River in covering costs incurred due to Superstorm Sandy

More than $4.5 million in federal funding will be provided by the FEMA Public Assistance Program to reimburse Toms River for its response to Superstorm Sandy, U.S. Senators Frank Lautenberg and Robert Menendez announced Friday.

“When Superstorm Sandy hit Toms River, local officials and first responders rushed in to protect and aid its residents. This federal funding will help to ensure that Toms River isn't overwhelmed by the costs of responding to Superstorm Sandy and the town can continue its work to rebuild stronger,” said Lautenberg, a member of the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Homeland Security, which funds FEMA.

The federal government is providing $4,541,442 to reimburse Toms River for expenses incurred when the town cleared roads, barricaded hazardous areas, evacuated stranded people and protected the public from hazards such as downed power lines and flooded roads, according to a news release.

Find out what's happening in Toms Riverwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

"That's just the beginning," Toms River Mayor Thomas Kelaher said of the $4.5 million in funding. "We certainly need more than that. I know more is coming. That's just the first check."

The funding will also help cover the costs for an emergency operations center that was established in Toms River to direct operations and maintain security of damaged neighborhoods.

Find out what's happening in Toms Riverwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

More than 7,000 Toms River homes were damaged or destroyed during Sandy, according to the news release, although Kelaher said that figure is closer to 10,000. Toms River has lost 20 to 25 percent of its tax rateable base.

As of February, Toms River submitted more than $9 million in Sandy expenses to FEMA for potential reimbursement.

There was $35 million in damage just to municipal property from the boardwalk to playgrounds, Kelaher said. The township is still pursuing debris removal. Earlier in April, Toms River calculated that 290,000 tons of debris had been collected.

"Everything everbody owned, they had to put out on the street," Kelaher said.

“Superstorm Sandy brought unprecedented challenges to New Jersey communities like Toms River, and there are still many challenges to face as the work toward recovery continues,” said Senator Menendez, who helped lead the New Jersey delegation’s fight for federal Sandy relief. “Federal reimbursements for costs associated with the initial response to Superstorm Sandy are critical to our state’s overall recovery.”

In January, President Barack Obama signed the Superstorm Sandy Supplemental Appropriations bill into law. The bill brought the total Sandy aid enacted by Congress to $60.2 billion to help homeowners, businesses and communities recover, and for resources to rebuild coastal, transportation and water infrastructure.

Kelaher is "hopeful" that the $4.5 million and additional funding that is expected to come to Toms River will "close the gap," he said. 

"Our needs haven't gone down," he said. "We're hoping there won't be a tax increase. That would be a burden on everybody in town. We're doing everything to avoid that."

Public Assistance grants are awarded by FEMA on a rolling basis after receiving applications from the state, which coordinated the process with local governments, the news release said.

“As New Jersey continues to recover, we’ll keep fighting to provide federal resources for cities and towns across the state,” Laughtenberg said.


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