Christie: Woodbridge is Next in Line After First Round of Buyouts

Monique Coleman-Tulloch of the Woodbridge Flood Zone group attended Christie's town Hall Meeting in Sayreville on May 16.

By Monique Coleman-Tulloch I was able to attend Governor Christie's Town Hall meeting in Sayreville earlier today(May 16) and witnessed his two big announcements- 1- $300 million is approved and ready to go for buyouts through Blue Acres, and 2- Sayreville is one of the first towns to be slated for this program. For many Sayreville residents, their prayers were answered by Christie's announcement.  And, throughout the meeting various flood victims from that town showered Christie with praises, gifts, standing O's, and to no surprise, a plea for a White House run. The collaborative efforts by residents and local officials in Sayreville have been rewarded with exactly what the majority of their flood victims have been pushing for since …

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In a Disaster, Woodbridge Has the Trailer

The township was one of 15 municipalities who received a emergency disaster trailer worth almost $10K.

In the next hurricane, Woodbridge will be prepared. That's because the NJ Office of Emergency Management (NJOEM) bequeathed a special Disaster Response and Flood Response Utility Trailer on the township, along with 14 other municipalities. The trailer, valued at $9,830, boasts a generator, basic medical supplies, lighting equipment, tools, tents and evacuation support equipment. Woodbridge was the only municipality in the county or area to get the disaster and flood trailer, although Rahway's Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) obtained a trailer from NJOEM that handles flood emergencies. With the township's various flood-prone areas, the trailer is certain to come in handy. The state has faced 1,196 flood events in the last 15 years…

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Tom Maras

4:25 pm on Wednesday, August 22, 2012

Does anyone know the genesis of that trailer? Is it from FEMA? They had so many they couldn't use after Katrina!   more ›

FEMA Extends Hurricane Irene Deadline Again

There are no excuses now not to file; the new deadline is in January.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has announced a 60-day extension for the proof of loss deadline for flood victims of Hurricane Irene from Nov. 23, 2011 to Jan. 23, 2012 under the National Flood Insurance Program. The extension goes into effect for flood policyholders in New Jersey, New York, Connecticut, Delaware, Washington, D.C., Georgia, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Vermont and Virginia with dates of loss between Aug. 26 and Sept. 4. FEMA can be contacted toll-free at 888-379-9531. Lines are open from 7 a.m. until 10 p.m.

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State Hires Special Consultant to Probe Utilities' Response to Hurricane Irene

How utilities planned, restored power, and communicated with local officials and customers.

By Tom Johnson of NJSpotlight.com The state is broadening its investigation into how New Jersey's four electric utilities handled events in the wake of Hurricane Irene, a storm that left 1.8 million people without power at one point or another. Acting on a recommendation from staff, the Board of Public Utilities (BPU) authorized the hiring of a special consultant to analyze how the utilities planned, executed restoration efforts, and communicated with local officials and their customers during the days following the storm -- which has been described by one official as the worst weather-related event for electric utilities in the state's history. The decision to retain a consultant comes even before the agency has concluded a series of …

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Hurricane Irene Food Assistance Program Ends Sept. 20

But Somerset County is taking applications until Sept. 21.

The deadline for emergency food stamps for victims of Hurricane Irene has been extended to Wednesday, Sept. 21 in Somerset County and ends Tuesday, Sept. 20 in Middlesex County. Many people may not think they qualify for the food aid relief, but the mounting costs of trying to recover from the hurricane's widespread flooding means that many individuals and families are eligible for the aid. Entitled D-SNAP (Disaster Supplemental Nutritional Assistance Program), the program is intended to aid people who suffered losses from Hurricane Irene which caused the state to be declared a federal disaster area. The costs of repairing hurricane damage, and other losses, such as food, furniture, and clothing, and any expenses incurred for hurricane …

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FEMA Set Up Shop in Woodbridge To Help Hurricane Irene Flood Victims

The federal disaster agency came to the township to work with flood victims one on one.

While the House and Senate continue to wrangle back and forth about how much money they want to replenish the Federal Emergency Management Agency, FEMA had boots on the ground in Woodbridge last Friday to make sure township residents hit hard by Hurricane Irene got the help they needed. Congressman Leonard Lance, who represents the 7th District to which Woodbridge belongs, got the ball rolling by having FEMA reps at the Woodbridge Community Center to help homeowners struggling with the flooding that ravaged parts of the township. "It's a meeting to give an orientation and information to residents affected by the hurricane and the floods and rains that followed," said FEMA spokesman Rossyeth Rey-Berrios. "It's very important that every one …

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Hurricane Irene

Christie Urges Residents To Seek FEMA Help; Neptune Office Set Up

Governor outlines coordinated response in storm's aftermath.

Governor Chris Christie on Tuesday urged those impacted by Hurricane Irene to seek help from the Federal Emergency Management Agency - and Neptune will serve as FEMA's hub site for New Jersey. Beginning Wednesday, the Joint Field Office in Neptune will serve as the field office for all federal and New Jersey Office of Emergency Management relief efforts throughout the state. "Representatives from the departments will be located here to ensure that we're all working together, officially and effectively, in a coordinated manner to get assistance to folks as quickly as possible," he said. Speaking at the Neptune office alongside FEMA Federal Coordinating Officer Bill Vogel and other officials, the governor outlined the state and federal …

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Jeff Gollin

10:35 am on Wednesday, September 7, 2011

Goes to show you that things are seldom that simple and that a lot of political positions are taken for rigid ideological reasons or to score political points rather than what's best and most practical for the people served. Sometimes irresponsible rhetoric puts politicians in ticklish positions because they'll avoid doing the right thing because they're afraid of being accused of hypocricy. …   more ›

Despite Irene, Woodbridge Schools Set to Open Tuesday on Schedule

The first day of school is Tuesday, Sept. 6. Hurricane Irene hasn't interfered with the opening of school or the district's buildings.

Hurricane Irene caused mayhem throughout Woodbridge and the area, but the township's schools made it through with little damage.  School is set to open on schedule on Tuesday, Sept. 6, said Dennis DeMarino, the school district's business administrator. "We were very lucky. We had very little water," he said. "We were nervous. That storm was a real test." All of the district's 24 schools have been or are in the process of having their roofs replaced in anticipation of the installation of new solar panels next year. A $32.5 million bond referendum was passed by township voters last December to fund the project.  Three of the schools - Woodbridge High School, Colonia Middle School, and Avenel Middle School - got the brunt of the water damage…

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Obama Declares New Jersey Major Disaster Area, Will View Flooding Sunday

Declaration will allow federal government to distribute disaster relief funds.

President Barack Obama declared New Jersey a major disaster area Wednesday afternoon, and the White House announced that the president will travel to north Jersey on Sunday to get a firsthand look at the flooding caused by Hurricane Irene. The declaration will allow the federal government to award FEMA assistance to local residents, and state and municipal governments, according to officials with the office of U.S. Rep. Bill Pascrell (D-NJ-08).  The president will make an appearance in Paterson, according to Cong. Pascrell, who is a former mayor of Paterson, one of the city's hardest-hit by flooding. At present, no details are available as to when the president will arive or where he will go. Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano …

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Hurricane Irene

How Sewaren Fared During Irene

The Sewaren Marina made it through the hurricane in surprisingly good shape.

With hurricanes, it's easy to get caught up in the hype and hyperbole of the storm.  Sewaren is the one place in the township that has a waterfront exposure. Homeowners over the decades have been buffeted by hurricanes and nor'easters, some of which have caused major damage to Sewaren homes and property. Captain Sal Cursi, who owns Cathy Sea Charters, a fishing excursion business in Sewaren, has seen many storms pass through the area over the years.  And while he respects Hurricane Irene and the dangerous weather it brought, he knows enough not to panic. "It looks like it's going to be intense, but all hurricanes go counterclockwise," said Cursi, who operates Cathy Sea Charters on the Sewaren waterfront.  "The brunt of the storm is coming …

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