Kim, Booker Urge Trump to Approve New Jersey’s Request for a Federal Disaster Declaration

This letter comes after New Jersey was severely impacted by September’s nor’easter which caused roughly $27 million in damage across the shore

WASHINGTON, D.C. –  Yesterday, U.S. Senators Andy Kim (D-NJ), Ranking Member of the Senate Homeland Security and Government Affairs Subcommittee on Disaster Management, District of Columbia, and Census, and Cory Booker (D-NJ) sent a letter to President Donald J. Trump urging him to approve Governor Sherrill’s most recent disaster declaration request, ensuring all New Jersey communities impacted by September’s nor’easter, especially towns along the shore and in South Jersey that were hit the hardest, have the critical federal funding to recover.

“The heavy rain, high winds, and large wave activity that the State of New Jersey experienced beginning on September 23 caused severe erosion in Atlantic City and other coastal towns. Atlantic City Beach Patrol officials said, for example, that the nor’easter caused ‘the worst beach erosion the city has seen since Superstorm Sandy,’ leaving steep drop-offs along the shoreline and erasing dune system refurbishments that were completed only two years ago. Brigantine and Ocean City in Atlantic and Cape May Counties, respectively, also reported significant erosion and damage to their dunes. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) Atlantic City tidal gauge data showed that it was the fifth-highest event out of 115 years of recordings for erosion potential. At several sites, the peak water levels came within one foot of levels produced by Superstorm Sandy,” the senators wrote.

The senators emphasized that while Atlantic, Cape May, and Monmouth Counties experienced the most extensive damage, the entire state was impacted. Roads across New Jersey were unusable and essential functions and statewide services were disrupted due to damage to homes, facilities, and businesses.

“The widespread erosion and dune breaches, in combination with the heavy rainfall and large wave activity, also contributed to extensive flooding, causing significant damage and leading to dozens of water rescues, including 45 vehicle-related water rescues in Atlantic City alone. In some communities, floodwater reached chest level, and emergency responders evacuated people from water-threatened structures. Storm winds brought down trees and utility lines, which led to more than 30,000 outages and serious damage to infrastructure,” the senators continued.

“While local governments and the State work to respond to this event, including full activation of their emergency management capabilities, federal support is needed to ensure a full recovery for the people of New Jersey,” the senators concluded.

Read the full letter HERE.

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