On Thursday, Rep. Chris Smith (R-NJ) surveyed extensive flood damage in Wall and Howell Township, meeting with local officials, residents, and law enforcement, and was briefed on the extent of flood damage in Monmouth County after record rainfalls in the area.
“The recent flooding has created a disaster for residents in Monmouth and Ocean counties, plain and simple,” Smith said. “I saw roads and bridges washed out—that may take weeks to repair—and met with homeowners who have suffered nightmarish damage to their properties.”
“This flooding requires all hands on deck to help victims recover, and I look forward to Gov. Murphy requesting federal disaster assistance so that these residents can receive the aid they need right now,” Smith said. According to the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief Act, the governor of an affected state must formally ask the President to issue an emergency or major disaster declaration for a state to receive federal assistance. Currently, local, state, federal, and volunteer organizations are working hard to complete the Preliminary Damage Assessment (PDA) to determine loss and recovery needs. Based on these findings, the Governor will then submit a request for federal assistance to the President.
“I am ready to work with our State officials and our entire Congressional delegation in support of the anticipated request and to ensure the federal government provides needed and appropriate assistance,” Smith said.
In trips to flood damage sites in Wall and Howell, Smith met with local officials including Wall Township Mayor Tim Farrell, Deputy Mayor Kevin Orender, Committeeman Carl Braun, Township Administrator Jeffrey Bertrand, and members of Wall Police; Monmouth County Director of Public Works and Engineering John Tobia, Assistant Director of Public Works James Cerreta, Supervisor of Bridge Repair David Yegelwel, and numerous public works employees who are working to repair bridge W18A and re-open Allenwood Road; as well as homeowner Zac Nickl. Smith also met with Howell Deputy Mayor Rob Nicastro, Deputy Manager/Director of Community Development Jim Herman, Office of Emergency Management Coordinator Victor Cook; Howell resident Bob Salomon and residents Anthony and Eileen Sosa, all of Pine Needle Street.
Among the damage Smith inspected on Thursday was the damaged county bridge W18A on Allenwood Road in Wall, a damaged bridge on Ramtown-Greenville Rd. in Howell, and damaged residences on Pine Needle Street in Howell. Smith met with homeowners and their neighbors, and promised to work to ensure that local disaster victims who are without flood insurance coverage because their homes are not in flood zones are included in FEMA’s Individual Assistance Program.
Tobia informed Rep. Smith that the initial flooding cost to Monmouth County’s infrastructure was $665,000 and that 14 county bridges had been damaged, but by Thursday all but three bridges had been repaired and reopened. The total cost of infrastructure repair is expected to rise, he said.
Gov. Phil Murphy declared a state of emergency for flash flood damage in several New Jersey counties on Tuesday, including Monmouth and Ocean counties. The other counties included in the declaration were Bergen, Essex, and Passaic counties.
