STORM WATCH

Gov. Murphy declares emergency; Tracking moderate to heavy snow for parts of NJ

Gov. Murphy tours flood-damaged communities; promises relief for New Jersey residents

President Joe Biden has issued a disaster declaration for all 21 counties in New Jersey following the devastating impact of Ida.

News 12 Staff

Sep 3, 2021, 11:50 PM

Updated 1,233 days ago

Share:

President Joe Biden has issued a disaster declaration for all 21 counties in New Jersey following the devastating impact of Ida.
The announcement came as Gov. Phil Murphy continued his tour of communities impacted by the flooding. The governor visited Essex and Union counties on Friday and promised that relief is on the way.
“Our attention turns to the task at hand – recovery and supporting our residents,” Murphy said. “It’s quite clear we’ve got a lot more work to do.”
In Millburn, the governor walked and talked with small business owners already struggling amid the pandemic.
“Small businesses, we heard it several times up and down the street today, they need help now,” says Tim Sullivan, the CEO of the Economic Development Authority.
LIVE UPDATES: Tracking Ida
The state Economic Development Authority is making $10 million in assistance available to businesses right away.
“We'll have this money on the street as fast as we can, because we know that insurance and federal programs are well-meaning, but they can take time,” Sullivan said.
The city of Elizabeth is dealing with the deaths of several residents after a housing complex flooded. Hundreds of people were displaced. Cars were tossed aside and rendered unusable by the storm.
“We’re giving people one week’s stay in hotels and people are frustrated,” said Elizabeth Mayor Chris Bollwage.
And in Cranford, Ida unexpectedly flooded neighborhoods, leaving residents to dry out and hope for assistance.
“As of this morning we have between two and 300 houses that still need to be pumped outside,” one official said.
President Biden signed a disaster declaration for New Jersey Friday morning. The governor says that help is on the way and the state will help make things right.
“It takes a lot. You have to persevere a little bit,” Murphy said.
The state has launched a new web page for Ida response and recovery information.