Community Corner

Flood Elevation and Flood Insurance Resources for Property Owners

FEMA's latest 'Sandy Recovery Bulletin' includes links to information on a new base flood elevation map and what it means to flood insurance policy holders.

NEW ADVISORY BASE FLOOD ELEVATION MAPS AVAILABLE

The state of New Jersey and FEMA have released Advisory Base Flood Elevation maps for 10 coastal counties: Atlantic, Bergen, Burlington, Cape May, Essex, Hudson, Middlesex, Monmouth, Ocean and Union. To access the new maps, visit www.Region2coastal.com and click on the Hurricane Sandy tab.

The page referenced above includes the following direct links:

Find out what's happening in Ocean Citywith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Find out what's happening in Ocean Citywith free, real-time updates from Patch.

FEMA Registration - Survivors of Hurricane Sandy in New Jersey have until Wednesday, Jan. 30, 2013, to register with FEMA for disaster assistance. FEMA encourages anyone who suffered damages from Hurricane Sandy from Oct. 26 to Nov. 8, 2012, to apply for assistance before the deadline. 

SBA Physical Damage Loan Applications - The deadline for applicants in New Jersey to request a physical damage loan from the SBA has been extended until Wednesday, Jan. 30, 2013.

 

RESOURCES FOR COPING WITH HURRICANE SANDY

FEMA

FEMA disaster assistance registration and helpline:  800-621-FEMA (3362), TTY 800-462-7585.
Apply online for assistance: DisasterAssistance.gov.
Smartphone/tablet: m.FEMA.gov/Sandy.
New Jersey/FEMA housing resources: FEMA.gov/HousingPortal.
To find the nearest disaster recovery center: FEMA.gov/DRCLocator or Text “DRC” and your “zip code” to 43362.

U.S. Small Business Administration

Customer Service Center: 800-659-2955, TTY 800-877-8339 or visit http://www.sba.gov/.
Secure online disaster loan application: https://disasterloan.sba.gov/ela.

Resources for Rebuilding

National Flood Insurance Program help center (for help with questions on filing claims or claims status): 
800-427-4661.

Stronger, safer, protected houses and communities: FEMA resources for rebuilding.

Protecting your home and property from flood damage: Mitigation ideas for reducing flood loss: an extensive collection of ideas.

Home builder's guide to coastal construction: 37 fact sheets for areas subject to wind and flood forces.

Above the flood: elevating your flood-prone house: Examples from south Florida. 

Wind retrofit guide for residential buildings: How to improve wind resistance of existing buildings.

Anchoring home fuel tanks (DVD): Describes methods for anchoring tanks.

Best Build I: building coastal homes: Safe and cost effective ways to build coastal homes.

 

FEMA WORKS TO HELP NEW JERSEY MEET SANDY HOUSING NEEDS

FEMA and its partners are addressing the housing needs of people displaced by Hurricane Sandy in New Jersey. Our top priority is to help survivors return to their homes or help them find a safe alternative if returning home is not an option.

More than 51,000 households have received FEMA grants to make essential repairs to their homes or secure alternative housing. For those who cannot return home, the goal is to help them find a rental property close by. This is better for survivors and helps the whole community recover.

The state of New Jersey and FEMA have identified hundreds of homes and apartments available for rent. Households that qualified for FEMA assistance may use their FEMA rental assistance for the security deposit and rent for these units. Households that previously told FEMA they did not need housing may still request FEMA assistance to move to rental housing if their housing situation has changed.

The number of available units changes constantly as units are occupied and new listings are added. Rentals are listed at http://www.socialserve.com where you can select the New Jersey link to do a search.

 

RESOURCES FOR ADDITIONAL NEEDS

New Jersey disaster case management: 877-510-6762 or email at dcmNewJersey@CatholicCharitiesUSA.org.

Clean-up resources and local recovery efforts: 2-1-1 or online at NJ211.org.
New Jersey Helps: NJhelps.org.
American Red Cross: 800-733-2767 or online at RedCross.org.
New Jersey Hope and Healing: 877-294-HELP (4357), TTY 877-294-4356.
National disaster stress helpline: 800-985-5990 or text “TalkWithUs” to 66746.
Missing pets: 855-407-4787.
Disaster legal assistance: 888-541-1900.
Disaster unemployment: Online at NJuifile.net
     Union City: 201-601-4100 
     Freehold: 732-761-2020 
     Cumberland: 856-507-2340

— News bulletin from the Federal Emergency Management Agency


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