23 Nov 2015

Monmouth and Ocean County briefs

Posted by Mary Colleen Robinson with - in 2015, Latest News Read More →

BRICK

Township officials and Brick police are now participating in Nixle emergency alerts. Residents can sign up to receive local emergency alerts on their phones by texting their ZIP code to 888777. The service is free. For information, visit www.nixle.com.

Amanda Oglesby

BERKELEY

The Bayville Volunteer First Aid Squad’s cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) training classes are available for interested individuals and businesses. The classes include basic CPR for adults, children and infants, as well as the use of automated external defibrillators (AEDs) and how to identify and help people who are choking or having breathing problems. The cost of the class if $30 per student, with a minimum of three students and a maximum of nine students per class.

Classes are held at the squad’s building or can be held at interested businesses. For more information or to schedule a class, contact the squad’s CPR instructor at 732-267-1754 or send an email to bayvillefirstaidsquad@outlook.com.

Jean Mikle

TOMS RIVER

The Ocean County Long-Term Recovery Group will host a workshop Dec. 1 for Sandy victims who need assistance with the state’s Reconstruction, Rehabilitation, Elevation and Mitigation (RREM) program, as well as those who have reopened their flood insurance claims and need additional help. The workshop will be held from 6 to 8 p.m. at the First United Methodist Church, 129 Chestnut St.

For more information, call 732-569-3484, ext. 24.

Jean Mikle

Asbury Park Press11:14 p.m. EST November 23, 2015

http://www.app.com/story/news/local/2015/11/23/monmouth-and-ocean-county-briefs/76251642/

30 Oct 2015

6 ways to avoid the ‘next Sandy’ | Di Ionno

Posted by Mary Colleen Robinson with - in 2015, Latest News Read More →

A look at Union Beach destruction caused by Hurricane Sandy in 2012, and how the area looks three years later. Pictured is a house at 705 Front St. (Aristide Economopoulos | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com)

Aristide Economopoulos | NJ Advance Media, for NJ.com

Three years ago this morning, millions of people in New Jersey woke to a gray-sky dawn and the residual breezes of Hurricane Sandy, which rumbled through the state under the darkness of night with the straight-forward power of a slow-moving freight train.

The storm’s wide swath of destruction unveiled itself in the gathering light. The images are impossible to forget.

The roller coaster in the water.

The home in the bay.

Beachfront mansions, broken and toppled, reduced to piles of shingles and cedar shakes.

Bayfront bungalows tossed like Monopoly houses.

Boats marooned on highways. Kayaks and canoes used for transportation along city streets.

Utility poles snapped and hanging in a jumble of wires – at the Shore, in the suburbs, in the cities.

Trees in the mountain areas sheared by the hundreds of thousands, snapped by the invisible hand of a howling wind.

From Highlands to the Highlands, this was what New Jersey woke up to.

No electricity, broken water mains and ruptured gas lines, including gas lines above ground, as fuel became scarce. The state woke up to a full-blown, catastrophic disaster.

Then came the long and ongoing recovery, or what many critics call the “the disaster after the disaster.”

Many critics call the Sandy recovery ‘the disaster after the disaster.’

29 Oct 2015

NJ’s Sandy Recovery Three Years In: Progress Made, But Lessons Left to Learn

Posted by Mary Colleen Robinson with - in 2015, Latest News Read More →

When Sandy made landfall in Brigantine, NJ, late on the evening of October 29, 2012, it was immediately clear that the state’s recovery would be a long-term process. As state officials wrote in their action plan applying for aid from the federal government, more than 40,000 primary homes and 15,000 rental units had sustained “severe” or “major” damage from the storm. Boardwalks up and down the coast were replaced by piles of rubble, and damage estimates totaled tens of billions of dollars.But despite the scene, many storm victims remained cautiously optimistic that things would work out in the end, and that the end wasn’t too far over the horizon. People trusted that flood and homeowners insurance would kick in to cover their losses, and that aid money from the state and federal governments would come through to help them rebuild and get back on their feet.

Three years later, while some storm victims are back in their homes, many thousands more are still waiting to complete the process, amid being shortchanged dramatically on their flood-insurance claims, facing problems with banks and contractors, and sustaining lengthy delays in getting recovery checks from the state.

On this, the third anniversary of the storm, here’s a look at where the recovery stands and some of the key lessons it’s taught for how to handle future storms.

Current status of the recovery

“Three years since Sandy made landfall, the NJ Department of Community Affairs remains as hard at work as ever on the recovery effort,” said spokeswoman Lisa Ryan.

“When it comes to the more than two-dozen recovery programs funded with [federal Community Development Block Grant] Disaster Recovery monies, which DCA administers, these programs have been set up, are underway, and are progressing toward their goals. We’ve built partnerships with many federal, state, and local governments; fellow state agencies; numerous nonprofit organizations; and with many in the private sector to advance New Jersey’s recovery. We are also continually assessing the operational effectiveness of our recovery programs and improving our performance. This has resulted in positive and measurable progress that we anticipate will continue in the months and years ahead.”

Though just 2,000 of the 8,000 families in the state’s largest homeowner-grant programhave completed construction and are back in their homes, that number has doubled in the past six months, and the vast majority of participants have received at least an initial payment. In addition, Ryan said the process continues to gather steam, with about 50 homes finishing construction and $7 million now being distributed to homeowners in an average week.

29 Oct 2015

NJ’S SANDY RECOVERY THREE YEARS IN: PROGRESS MADE, BUT LESSONS LEFT TO LEARN

Posted by Mary Colleen Robinson with - in 2015 Read More →

Some of the people most closely involved in the recovery offer their assessments and advice for the next big storm

USE-wreckage of a beachfront home in Mantoloking shortly after the storm

Wreckage of a beachfront home in Mantoloking in the immediate aftermath of superstorm Sandy.

When superstorm Sandy made landfall in Brigantine, NJ, late on the evening of October 29, 2012, it was immediately clear that the state’s recovery would be a long-term process. As state officials wrote in their action plan applying for aid from the federal government, more than 40,000 primary homes and 15,000 rental units had sustained “severe” or “major” damage from the storm. Boardwalks up and down the coast were replaced by piles of rubble, and damage estimates totaled tens of billions of dollars.

But despite the scene, many storm victims remained cautiously optimistic that things would work out in the end, and that the end wasn’t too far over the horizon. People trusted that flood and homeowners insurance would kick in to cover their losses, and that aid money from the state and federal governments would come through to help them rebuild and get back on their feet.

On this, the third anniversary of the storm, here’s a look at where the recovery stands and some of the key lessons it’s taught for how to handle future storms.

29 Oct 2015

Hurricane Sandy Victims Still Reckon With Insurance Underpayments 3 Years After Storm, Long Waits In FEMA Review

Posted by Mary Colleen Robinson with - in 2015 Read More →

Right after Hurricane Sandy clobbered his bungalow in Long Beach, New York, Thomas Marlow headed for Manhattan, to tackle another area of flood damage: the Hugh Carey Brooklyn-Battery Tunnel. Marlow, a civil engineer, had to come up with a plan to pump 65 million gallons of water out of the underground highway. Working with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the Coast Guard, he got the job done in about two weeks.

Three years after the infamous superstorm struck the Eastern Seaboard on Oct. 29, 2012, Marlow’s own property on Long Island remains an empty sand lot. He demolished the house last year. He’s managed major infrastructure projects for airports, the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge and ground zero. “I’m used to red tape,” he says. But the task of rebuilding his own home, after receiving a low damage estimate from his insurance carrier, has proved tougher than anything he’s done during his career.

“Nobody wants to be living out of a suitcase,” says Marlow, who has stayed with family and friends while continuing to pay the mortgage on the bungalow. “It just takes a toll on everything – your job, your kids, your relationship with your family. I’m definitely tired, but I’m not ready to give up.”

RTX1TTRW — A fire hydrant sits along a flooded Beach 36th street along the Rockaway Beach section of Queens, New York, Oct. 29, 2015. Oct. 29 marks the third anniversary of Hurricane Sandy that damaged homes and beaches along the East Coast. PHOTO: REUTERS/ SHANNON STAPLETON

Marlow is one of thousands of Sandy victims who believe the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s National Flood Insurance Program underpaid them for damages to their homes. Following allegations of fraud by insurers and their subcontractors, these homeowners have decided to take up FEMA on a historic offer to reassess claims. In May, FEMA said 142,000 policyholders could request to reopen their Sandy insurance claims, and see if they were entitled to more money to fix their homes. For some homeowners, it’s a last chance to recoup funds after insurance struggles that drained their personal finances and uprooted their lives. For FEMA, the review is a critical test of the credibility of a program that is the primary source of flood insurance for homeowners nationwide.

24 Oct 2015

3 years later, Sandy pets are homeless, too

Posted by Mary Colleen Robinson with - in 2015 Read More →

Laura Pople is executive director of Seer Farms in Jackson, which provides animal care for people in crisis. Since Hurricane Sandy, Seer Farms has sheltered about 500 animals that, like their owners, were left homeless by the storm. Pople hugs a Rottweiler named Mona still living at Seer Farms that belongs to a family from Union Beach. 10/21/15 (Andrew Mills | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com)

Andrew Mills | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com

Laura Pople tells the story of one of her clients who stayed in her Lavallette home as the wind-whipped waves of Hurricane Sandy began to fill the house. When rescuers came to evacuate the woman, they told her she could not take her pets. So she stayed, even as the water chased her and the animals to the second floor.

“It was pitch black – remember there was no electricity – and she was on her mattress with her two dogs and several cats, and the water was all around them,” Pople said. “She heard a splash and realized one of the animals had jumped off the bed. So she went in after it and rescued it. That’s the extent of how much people love their pets.”

Pople is executive director of Seer Farms in Jackson, which provides animal care for people in crisis. Since the hurricane, Seer Farms has sheltered about 500 animals that, like their owners, were left homeless by the storm. Some came immediately after, when their owners couldn’t find apartments or hotels that took pets. Some came much later, when homeowners had to leave their houses to have them elevated to meet flood insurance requirements.

The Jackson property is tucked off a county highway at the northern edge of the Pinelands. The cats live in what are essentially group homes. There is an enclosed shelter where they sleep, connected to a fenced-in pen where they play. Each shelter has a family visitation area, so owners can visit with their pets one-on-one.

Pople still has 50 cats and a few dogs that have not yet gone home since the storm. Three more pets are scheduled to come in next week when work starts to raise their owners’ homes.

I knew she was in a safe place and well cared for.” — Linda Hanley

Either way, the separation – whether sudden or planned – can be traumatic. Especially for the humans.

08 Oct 2015

We need money and a plan to fix N.J.’s dunes before it’s too late, lawmakers say

Posted by Mary Colleen Robinson with - in 2015 Read More →

As the tides and floodwaters receded from the weekend’s storm, it took sand with it — sand needed to protect the Jersey Shore.

South Jersey lawmakers have been looking for ways to mitigate the beach erosion before another storm comes to the Jersey Shore.

“If you talk to almost all of our barrier islands, they will tell you that, the ones that have had the (dune) construction projects, there was probably a tremendous amount of property that was saved due to the dune system,” said U.S. Rep. Frank LoBiondo (R-2). “That was the first line of defense. ”

Leading up to and after the storm, LoBiondo has been meeting with local officials and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to figure out how to protect the Jersey Shore from future weather events — especially now that many of the protective dunes have been eroded.

Over the course of 30 years, more than $1 billion has been spent on beach replenishment, according to coastal researchers.

High tides carved eight-foot-high cliffs into dunes on North Wildwood’s beach and a house was swept into the water in Middle Township.

01 Oct 2015

A new disaster resource for Ocean County

Posted by Mary Colleen Robinson with - in 2015 Read More →

TOMS RIVER A new Ocean County site for storm information should be on line by Friday, Oct. 2.

The Ocean County Community Organizations Active in Disaster or OC COAD, will collect and disseminate important information about Hurricane Joaquin and other upcoming storms, according to Sue Marticek, executive director of the Ocean County Long-Term Recovery Group.

“We want people to know that this is where you can go to get accurate information,” Marticek said Thursday. She said the new group will send out email blasts containing pertinent storm information and will also send texts to people’s mobile phones. To receive information from the new group, send an email to info@OceanCountyLTRG.org and include your cell phone number for text updates.

Information about places to evacuate, if necessary, and shelters where pets are accepted are samples of the types of messages the new group could send out. It will also serve as a clearinghouse for where to volunteer and what to donate in the event a storm or other disaster does occur.

The OC COAD site will attempt to coordinate and disseminate vital information so that residents will have one place to turn to for important updates

“There are 560-some municipalities throughout the state, and they all tend to do their own thing,” said Keith Adams, the chairman of New Jersey Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster, a statewide consortium of volunteer groups active in disaster response.

Adams’ group and the Ocean County Department of Human Services are working with the long-term recovery group to create the new OC COAD site.

Jean Mikle: (732) 643-4050, jmikle@gannettnj.com

Jean Mikle, @jeanmikle 5:54 p.m. EDT October 1, 2015 http://www.app.com/story/weather/stormwatch/2015/10/01/new-disaster-resource-ocean-county/73164554/

25 Sep 2015

Sandy advocates: We’ll help you reopen flood claim

Posted by Mary Colleen Robinson with - in 2015 Read More →

Don’t leave money on the table.

That’s the message the Ocean County Long-Term Recovery Group wants to stress to Sandy victims who have not yet opted to reopen their flood insurance claim.

The group has been holding clinics throughout the state aimed at helping residents decide whether to reopen their flood claim through FEMA. Sue Marticek, executive director of the long-term recovery group, said earlier this month that about 90 percent of the Sandy victims who have sought help with a claim review are owed money.

The next clinic is set for 4 to 8 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 29, at the Middletown Library, 55 New Monmouth Road. Appointments are recommended. Call (732) 569-3484, ext. 24. Walk-ins are also welcome, and will be seen on a first-come, first-served, basis.

Advocates like Marticek fear that homeowners, many of whom are distrustful of the process, may opt not to reopen their claims, passing up substantial amounts of money. In some cases that money could make the difference for homeowners struggling to find the funds to rebuild, she said.

24 Sep 2015

Get Help Requesting A Sandy Flood Insurance Claim Review Today

Posted by Mary Colleen Robinson with - in 2015, Latest News Read More →

If you’re thinking about it, the Ocean County Long Term Recovery Group volunteers can help. The window for reviews closes in mid-October.

Get Help Requesting A Sandy Flood Insurance Claim Review Today

Berkeley, NJ

By PATRICIA A. MILLER (Patch Staff) – September 24, 2015 9:35 am ET

Members of the Ocean County Long Term Recovery group will be on hand at St. Mary’s of the Pines church in Manahawkin today to help Superstorm Sandy victims through the FEMA claims review process.

Community advocates, lawyers and insurance experts will be available to provide one-on-one assistance. Appointments are preferable. To make an appointment, call 732-2569-3484, ext. 24. Walk-ins are welcome on a first-come, first-served basis.

The church is located at 100 Bishop Way in Manahawkin. The clinic will run from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m. The assistance is free.

FEMA and the National Flood Insurance Program recently extended the deadline to file for a claims review until mid-October.

Photo credit: Patricia A. Miller

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All posts in 2015

Monmouth and Ocean County briefs

6 ways to avoid the ‘next Sandy’ | Di Ionno

NJ’s Sandy Recovery Three Years In: Progress Made, But Lessons Left to Learn

Current status of the recovery

NJ’S SANDY RECOVERY THREE YEARS IN: PROGRESS MADE, BUT LESSONS LEFT TO LEARN

Some of the people most closely involved in the recovery offer their assessments and advice for the next big storm

Hurricane Sandy Victims Still Reckon With Insurance Underpayments 3 Years After Storm, Long Waits In FEMA Review

3 years later, Sandy pets are homeless, too

We need money and a plan to fix N.J.’s dunes before it’s too late, lawmakers say

A new disaster resource for Ocean County

Sandy advocates: We’ll help you reopen flood claim

Get Help Requesting A Sandy Flood Insurance Claim Review Today

If you’re thinking about it, the Ocean County Long Term Recovery Group volunteers can help. The window for reviews closes in mid-October.

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