New Jersey Finalizing Request For Federal Aid After June 23rd Thunderstorms
By David Madden
TRENTON, N.J. (CBS) -- Two weeks after vicious wind and rain ripped through parts of South Jersey, it appears that state officials are now ready to apply for federal recovery help.
Hundreds of thousands of people, mostly in Camden and Gloucester counties, were left in the dark for days, some for up to a week.
Now, sources tell KYW Newsradio that hard-hit towns have reported more than $20 million in infrastructure damage and cleanup costs, which meets a FEMA (Federal Emergency Management Agency) threshold for providing assistance, at 75 cents on the dollar.
The formal application for help, therefore, is being drawn up, and the process is expected to be complete by the end of the week, with a request for a disaster declaration from the White House.
Federal crews are already on the ground. As for homeowners, it appears all but a handful are covered by private insurance and, therefore, may not need government assistance to make repairs.