Oklahoma: Don't Visit, But Please Send Cash

Oklahoma urges out-of-state residents not to mail or truck in supplies, but would appreciate charitable contributions

  Oklahoma and FEMA officials are asking those who want to help tornado victims to make charitable contributions, but not to mail or truck in any supplies. Even as Oklahoma officials are emphasizing how much they appreciate that folks from out-of-state want to roll truckloads of supplies into the tornado-ravaged area of the state, they have to politely decline because it would divert attention from handling the ongoing crisis and possibly create a mountain of items no one will want. "Please don't send used clothes or supplies and, no, we can't have trucks coming in," said Ann Dee Lee, a volunteer helping the Oklahoma Office of Emergency Management's public relations department field media calls. On Tuesday, plans were brewing among Jersey …

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Hurricane Sandy

Millions Paid in Sandy Insurance Claims in Marlboro and Colts Neck

An interactive map, produced by NJ Spotlight, breaks down insurance costs by town following Hurricane Sandy.

An interactive map produced by New Jersey Spotlight and published late last week provides a complete breakdown of every insurance claim paid in New Jersey since Hurricane Sandy by town, giving further insight into the totality of losses suffered during the late-October storm.   Information from color-coded map was compiled using the most recent data from the New Jersey Department of Banking and Insurance (DOBI). Based on the most recent data, 921 claims were filed in Colts Neck, using the zip code 07722. A total of 696 have been paid for a total of $6,463,351. There were 168 claims that were closed without payment, which could mean the claim was denied or that the claim was below the deductible. About $8,416,760 are in incurred losses are …

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Hurricane Sandy

Deadline to Apply for FEMA, SBA Extended to May 1

Deadline extension applies for homeowner, renter and business registration with SBA

Residents impacted by Superstorm Sandy now have until May 1 to register for individual disaster assistance through the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), according to a prepared statement from the governor's office.  The deadline extension also applies for homeowner, renter, and business registration with the Small Business Administration (SBA) for Disaster Loan Assistance. Businesses applying for SBA Economic Injury loans still have until July 31 to apply. The loans are for businesses that did not suffer any physical damage, but lost revenue in Sandy's aftermath. State and federal offiicials have urged all residents and businesses affected by the storm, whether it was through flooding, wind damage or loss of business  revenue, …

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Hurricane Sandy

Sandy Damages 30 Homes in Marlboro and Colts Neck

Over 2,000 businesses in both townships reported damage or impact from Hurricane Sandy.

Sandy inflicted damage on 27 homes and rental units in Marlboro Township and three in Colts Neck, according to an analysis of New Jersey Department of Community Affairs data by NJSpotlight.com.  One Marlboro rental unit reportedly suffered minor damages from the historic storm, however 26 homes suffered "major" damage, defined as between $8,000 and $28,800 in storm costs. One home in Marlboro was considered severely damaged, with more than $28,800 in assessed damage. Damage under $8,000 was considered "minor." Severe damage--defined as over $28,800 in costs--was not reported to any Marlboro homes. Colts Neck reported three homes with major damage, and 552 businesses reported a significant impact from the hurricane. The report shows that 1,…

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Hurricane Sandy

FEMA Offers Rebuilding and Repair Advice

The ongoing workshops are being held in several home improvement stores throughout the area.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency is providing free advice on how to repair or rebuild your Hurricane Sandy-damaged home at several home improvement stores throughout the area. With an eye on rebuilding to mitigate future disaster damage, FEMA experts will be on hand to offer building techniques that can help protect homes, businesses and other properties.  Among the topics advice is being offered on are: •             Ridding a home of mold and mildew. •             Understanding flood- and wind-resistant building methods. •             Knowing the benefits of flood insurance. •             Elevating or anchoring utilities. Sepecialists are on hand today, Thursday, and Friday from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Saturday, Feb. 16 from 8:30 a.m…

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Seeking Stability, Port Monmouth Family Lifts House 8 Feet Above Ground

Michele Pitzer has given up waiting for federal grant money and is moving forward to bring her family back home.

JERSEY SHORE -- Michele Pitzer realizes her family's newly elevated house looks awkward in the context of her Port Monmouth neighborhood.  But being without a permanent home since Oct. 29 has taken too high a toll on her family. She is determined to bring her two young children back to the only home they have ever known -- back to a more stable environment -- and is not willing to wait months or even years to get a financial contribution from the government to do so.  "Everybody has comments and opinions about what I'm doing," she said, referring to things she's heard about on Facebook. "Other survivors have asked me in the FEMA office, 'Why did you move forward on this?' My answer to them is, 'I'm just trying to do the right thing by my …

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Christie on Delays in Sandy Aid: 'Please Be Patient'

Plans are being formulated at the state level for how to spend Hurricane Sandy relief aid, but the money hasn't come in yet.

The state is developing plans for how and where to best allocate Hurricane Sandy relief aid, writing proposals for putting together lists for its various relevant agencies, from Housing and Urban Development to the Department of Transportation. The money will come, Gov. Chris Christie told a crowd in Union Beach Tuesday, and it will be used to rebuild New Jersey and get residents back into their hurricane-ravaged homes. Be patient, he said. The check hasn't been written yet. Christie joined other local legislators in celebration after a $50.7 billion hurricane relief bill passed in a contentious U.S. House of Representatives in January before heading off to the U.S. Senate for approval and finally to President Barack Obama’s desk for a …

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Hurricane Sandy

Mobile Cabinets to Provide Sandy Advice in Monmouth Tuesday

Representatives from several State departments will be on hand to answer questions and provide assistance to residents.

Editor's note: A previous version of this story reported that the event would be held Monday. The event is being held Tuesday. Representatives from several state departments are slated to spend the day in Monmouth County Tuesday, offering expert advice and assistance in a number of areas to victims of Hurricane Sandy, Gov. Chris Christie's office announced recently. Senior staff members from the Department of Banking and Insurance, Department of Community Affairs, Department of Environmental Protection, and the Business Action Center will be on hand at Union Beach Hose Co. #1 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. to do casework for residents who need assistance. The day of casework is part of Gov. Chris Christie's Mobile Cabinet effort, which seeks to …

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Diane Caso

10:12 pm on Monday, February 4, 2013

I FULLY AGREE!! There is no way that people in the Bayshore can afford this. So many are still reeling, trying to pick up the pieces of their lives..   more ›

Hurricane Sandy

SBA Loans Following Sandy Exceed $1 Billion

The administration has made 16,800 loans since the hurricane hit New Jersey.

In just three months since Hurricane Sandy struck the East Coast, the U.S. Small Business Administration has approved more than $1.1 billion in disaster loans to residents and business owners affected by the storm. According to a release from the SBA, approximately 16,700 individuals have received loans, making Sandy the country's third largest disaster in terms of loaned dollars. Currently, Sandy sits behind 2005's Hurricane Katrina and its $10.8 billion in SBA loans, and 1994's Northridge, Calif., earthquake, which totaled $4 billion in loans. Sandy, however, could supplant those disaster totals in the long run. The SBA also announced recent emergency legislation in Congress that adds $799 million to the administration's disaster …

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New Jersey to Adopt FEMA's Flood Elevation Maps, Christie Says

At a press conference in Seaside Heights, Gov. Chris Christie said the new flood maps will help the Jersey Shore rebuild better and stronger.

New Jersey will adopt the Federal Emergency Management's (FEMA) Advisory Base Flood Elevation maps, clearing the way for residents and business owners along the Jersey Shore to rebuild better and stronger, Gov. Chris Christie announced during a press conference in Seaside Heights Thursday afternoon. The move comes as residents along the shore wait to find out not if they'll have to raise their homes following Hurricane Sandy, but just how high.  "If we wait, all we're doing is delaying New Jersey's recovery," Christie said, adding: "I think this is what we need to do to build a 21st century Jersey Shore." The advisory maps, or ABFE's, were released in December and recommend that residents in flood zones in 10 counties and 194 communities …

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