The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) today issued a five-day extension of the temporary federal cost share waiver that reimburses communities for 100 percent of emergency power restoration and emergency public transportation expenses related to Hurricane Sandy. 

    Smith, who requested the extension last week as the Nor’easter bore down on the Jersey Shore, said the additional time will allow communities to focus on emergency work and recovery from both Sandy and the Nor’easter.

    "The Nor’easter dumped more than a foot of snow on areas of my district,” Smith said. “This second powerful storm caused additional power outages and emergency response, and slowed power restoration efforts. Our hard-hit communities need more time than the original 10-day deadline. Many towns are still without power and most are still cleaning up after Sandy. I’d rather see a longer extension, but this a welcome announcement.”

    The original waiver expired at midnight Friday, Nov. 9. Today’s extension—good through Nov. 14 at 11:59 p.m.—is strictly limited to continuing funding for previously initiated FEMA assigned and reimbursable projects for those areas within counties designated for Public Assistance in New Jersey’s federal disaster declaration.

    For Hurricane Sandy, President Obama approved an adjustment of the standard federal cost share—from 75 percent to 100 percent—on October 30, 2012 for 10 days.  Smith continues surveying the damages in the particularly hard hit areas of Monmouth and Ocean Counties and has heard from mayors that the current timeline is insufficient to meet their needs.

    Smith wrote a letter to the President seeking an extension, which read, in part: "First responders and volunteers are working around the clock providing assistance to impacted residents but the damage to these areas is extensive and many efforts have been hampered by the delay in power restoration."  Click to view the full text.