New Jersey Governor Sherrill Requests Federal Major Disaster Declaration: September Nor'easter Caused Nearly $27 Million in Damage in Three Counties
New Jersey Governor Mikie Sherrill sent a letter to President Trump on October 26 requesting a federal major disaster declaration for Monmouth, Atlantic and Cape May counties to help the communities recover from the nor'easter that struck New Jersey in late September. According to the governor's office, which publicized the request on October 27, FEMA-validated preliminary damages were $13,779,935 in Cape May County, $8,469,403 in Monmouth County and $4,726,699 in Atlantic County, nearly $27 million in total. All three counties greatly exceeded FEMA's per capita damage indicator, from nearly three times in Monmouth County to 30 times in Cape May County.
'We are working to ensure our coastal communities have the resources they need to recover from the September Nor'easter,' Sherrill said. 'New Jersey sends billions more in federal tax dollars to Washington than we receive in return, and now we hope the administration will do its part so these communities can rebuild. I thank OEM and our local and county partners for moving quickly to document the damage and complete the assessments needed to pursue federal assistance.' If the President grants a major disaster declaration, the state and affected counties could pursue FEMA Public Assistance grants to reimburse storm-related costs, along with Hazard Mitigation Grant Program funding for projects that strengthen communities against future storms.
The nor'easter swept through New Jersey over the last weekend of September and the following Monday, causing significant coastal flooding, power outages and high-tide risks. Atlantic City and surrounding shore towns saw two to three feet of floodwater sweep through homes and vehicles, with major dune loss on the beaches and street flooding in several towns. Sherrill declared a state of emergency on September 25 for eight counties - Atlantic, Burlington, Cape May, Cumberland, Middlesex, Monmouth, Ocean and Salem - which was lifted on September 29.
The governor's office said the request follows a request the previous week for federal assistance under Public Law 84-99 to repair eligible U.S. Army Corps of Engineers projects damaged by the storm; FEMA's Public Assistance program would cover damaged coastal areas not under Army Corps authority. A post-storm assessment by the state Department of Environmental Protection's Office of Coastal Engineering found that while many beaches withstood the storm, it left many areas with heavily sloped erosion, exposed groins and increased wave runup on upper beaches, seawalls and dunes.
Source: GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)
Photo: 新泽西州开普梅县海滩大道（资料图）。King of Hearts 摄，CC BY-SA 4.0，经 Wikimedia Commons。 / Beach Avenue in Cape May County, New Jersey (file photo). Photo by King of Hearts, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
