Federal aid to supplement local recovery efforts in the areas affected by storm
Union County, NJ – The Union County Board of County Commissioners notifies all residents that President Joseph Biden and FEMA have designated Union County as a major disaster area following the destruction caused by Hurricane Ida from September 1 to 3, 2021.
Earlier this week, when an initial declaration for the State of New Jersey was approved and released by the federal government, Commissioner Chairman Alexander Mirabella, on behalf of the Union County Board of County Commissioners, called upon President Biden and FEMA to include Union County in the New Jersey Disaster Declaration. Today’s announcement comes on the heels of FEMA and NJ Office of Emergency Management damage assessments throughout the course of the past week.
“The County of Union was hit hard by Hurricane Ida and the damage is extensive,” said Union County Commissioner Board Chairman Alexander Mirabella. “The updated declaration to include Union County will provide our residents with federal funding that is crucial to recovery and rebuilding.”
As part of the efforts to provide support, Union County has launched a series of pop-up Hurricane Relief events around the County, providing assistance and case work directly to affected residents. Scheduled events started today in Cranford and the next event is scheduled in Rahway on Tuesday, September 14 from 3:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. at the Rahway Community Center, located at 3 City Hall Plaza.
The County will also be coordinating with FEMA to establish a Disaster Recover Location within the Union County where residents can meet directly with FEMA representatives.
In addition to mobilizing emergency responses from various Federal Agencies, inclusion of Union County in the Major Disaster Declaration unlocks three main streams of federal funding to affected counties via FEMA:
- Individual Assistance – Assistance to individuals and households;
- Public Assistance – Assistance to state and local governments and certain private nonprofit organizations for emergency work and the repair or replacement of disaster damaged facilities;
- Hazard Mitigation Assistance – Assistance to state and local governments and certain private nonprofit organizations for actions taken to prevent or reduce long term risk to life and property from natural hazards.
Available assistance can include grants for temporary housing and home repairs, low-cost loans to cover uninsured property losses, and other programs to help individuals and business owners recover from the effects of the disaster.
Residents can also consult the FEMA Fact Sheet for more information.
Union County homeowners and renters affected by Hurricane Ida could be eligible for help from FEMA. If residents have homeowners or renters insurance, they are advised to file a claim through their insurance company as soon as possible as FEMA cannot duplicate benefits covered by insurance. Those that are uninsured or underinsured may be eligible for federal assistance.
The fastest and easiest way to apply is by visiting disasterassistance.gov/ or by downloading the FEMA App on the Apple App Store or the Google Play Store. If it is not possible to apply online, call 800-621-3362 (TTY: 800-462-7585). The toll-free telephone lines operate from 7 a.m. to 11 p.m., seven days a week.
For information and updates on all Union County services during the COVID-19 outbreak, including the Union County COVID-19 Test Center at Kean University, the Mobile Test Unit, vaccination information, emergency food distribution and other support services, visit ucnj.org/covid19. General information about COVID-19 is available through the New Jersey Department of Health at nj.gov/health.
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For all Union County programs and services visit ucnj.org, call the Public Info Line, 877-424-1234, email info@ucnj.org or use the online Contact Form.
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