MIDDLESEX BOROUGH – Federal Emergency Management Association (FEMA) experts will be available through Oct. 22 to give free advice on home repairs and improvements at Jaeger Lumber, 500 Bound Brook Road.
The experts will be at the store 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday and 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday. The store is closed Sundays.
The FEMA mitigation specialists and disaster survivor assistance team members will be available to answer questions and offer home improvement tips, along with methods to prevent or reduce damage from future disasters.
The experts also will offer tips and techniques to build hazard-resistant homes.
According to FEMA, most of the information and the free publications are geared for do-it-yourself work and general contractors.
The experts also can answer questions about flood insurance, elevating utilities and rebuilding flooded homes.
Damage from Ida?:Here’s how Central Jersey residents can apply for aid
FEMA also has opened a disaster recovery center at the Cranford Community Center, 220 Walnut Ave, Cranford. The center is open 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday and 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday. The center is closed on Sundays.
Representatives from FEMA and the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) will be available at the center to explain disaster assistance programs, answer questions about written correspondence and provide literature about repairs and rebuilding to make homes more disaster resistant.
To help alleviate the risk of COVID-19 spread through person-to-person contact, wearing a mask or face covering is required to gain entry. Hand sanitizer is available. Workstations are spaced 6 feet apart to provide an extra level of protection.
Ida disaster funds:Here’s how New Jersey businesses can apply
FEMA announced this week that more than $175.8 million in federal funds have been provided to New Jersey to aid in the recovery from the remnants of Hurricane Ida.
Funds include grants from FEMA, low-interest disaster loans from the SBA and claims payments from the National Flood Insurance Program:
- More than $88.5 million in federal grants have been approved for homeowners and renters.
- More than $53.1 million in SBA low-interest disaster loans approved for homeowners, renters and business owners.
- More than $34.1 million paid to flood insurance policyholders statewide.
“This is an impressive milestone to reach in such a short period of time,” said FEMA Federal Coordinating Officer Patrick Cornbill. “This money goes directly into the hands of survivors and allows them to start on the road to recovery, while helping them achieve their long-term goals and begin to return to a sense of normalcy. We couldn’t have done it without our state and federal partners here on the ground.”
Ida aftermath:New Jersey weighs expanding Blue Acres flood buyback program
As of Tuesday, FEMA has approved more than $88.5 million for 18,932 families in New Jersey. This included:
- More than $82.5 million in Housing Assistance grants for repairs to primary residences or for rental of temporary housing.
- More than $6 million for grants to repair or replace damaged personal property or to pay for disaster-related necessary expenses and other serious needs.
FEMA completed damage inspections of 30,956 homes, which is part of the process of determining whether applicants are eligible for assistance.
Email: [email protected]
Mike Deak is a reporter for mycentraljersey.com. To get unlimited access to his articles on Somerset and Hunterdon counties, please subscribe or activate your digital account today.
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