President Biden Surveys Ida Damage in Hillsborough and Manville

By Jim Pytell, Managing Editor On Sep 7, 2021

President Joe Biden made two stops in New Jersey today, landing in Hillsborough via Marine One and then taking a motorcade to Manville to survey damage from Tropical Storm Ida. He was joined by Gov. Phil Murphy and other officials, and spoke briefly about the rescue and recovery efforts taking place in the state. 

“My thoughts are with all those families affected by the storm. I especially want to thank the brave first responders who have exemplified the courage of New Jersey and next door in New York,” Biden said.

The president said he is working closely with Governor Murphy and that he and his team are going to continue to do so.

“I am here first-hand to see what the damage is and to find out directly from you all what is most needed,” Biden said. 

Approximately 132 personnel from FEMA have been deployed in New Jersey, according to the president, including federal search-and-rescue teams, incident management teams, and six mobile emergency response support teams.

Yesterday, Murphy’s request for a Major Disaster Declaration was approved by FEMA in Bergen, Gloucester, Hunterdon, Middlesex, Passaic, and Somerset counties, making federal funding available to affected individuals.

Assistance can include grants for temporary housing and home repairs, low-cost loans to cover uninsured property losses, and other programs to help individuals and business owners recover from the effects of the disaster.

“Many residents of our state are facing a long road ahead as they recover from Ida,” Murphy said. “I am very grateful to the Biden administration and FEMA for their swift approval of the Major Disaster Declaration for six of our counties. I urge residents and business owners in those counties to visit FEMA’s website and begin the application process. We also urge residents outside of the six counties to register their information at nj.gov/ida so that we can be ready to get dollars into the hands of additional New Jerseyans as soon as we are able.”

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