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NJ Office of Emergency Management
Colonel Rick Fuentes Major Dennis McNulty
Superintendent, New Jersey State Police
State Director of Emergency Management
Commanding Officer, Emergency Management

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION: FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
Mary J. Goepfert, NJ OEM (609) 963-6818 August 18, 2011

NJOEM And FEMA To Begin Conducting Joint Preliminary Damage Assessments In Flood-impacted Areas

In response to last weekend’s flood event, the New Jersey Office of Emergency Management, in coordination with the Federal Emergency Management Agency and its county OEM partners, will begin Joint Preliminary Damage Assessments (PDA’s) in Southern New Jersey tomorrow.   The Joint PDA’s are the next step is helping determine whether the State can pursue federal disaster recovery assistance for the storms.  Representatives from the NJ Department of Environmental Protection and the New Jersey Department of Transportation are also expected to be part of the Joint PDA Teams.  The Joint PDA’s will take place in Salem, Cumberland and Gloucester Counties. 

According to Colonel Rick Fuentes, State Police Superintendent and Director of the NJ Office of Emergency Management, “Inspections of the flood-damaged areas earlier this week indicated the need to fully engage our federal partners in refining the eligible costs of the event, and looking at options for the types of assistance that might be available. We’re thankful to all the emergency responders, public works personnel, voluntary agencies and others from the affected areas who have been working tirelessly since the weekend to help their communities recover from the rain and flooding.”

The FEMA/State team will tour counties and municipalities and view the damage first-hand to assess the scope of damage and estimate repair costs. The State uses the results of the PDA to determine if the situation is beyond the combined capabilities of the State and local resources, and to verify the need for supplemental Federal assistance. The PDA also identifies any unmet needs that may require immediate attention.  The process will start tomorrow and may continue into the weekend.

All residents and businesses that have experienced flood damage to their property as a result of the recent flooding event are advised to contact their insurance company and open a claim for damages.  All municipal and county officials should continue to work with their respective offices of emergency management and gather data/damage reports to be forwarded to the Joint PDA Teams.

For more information regarding flood recovery please follow these links:

NJOEM Flood Related Info: www.ready.nj.gov

NJ 211 Call Center: Call 2-1-1 or click www.nj211.org; Free 24-hour statewide service - putting people in need of assistance, in-touch with people who can help.

NJ Division of Mental Health Services "Managing the Emotional Consequences of Storms and Flooding": http://www.state.nj.us/humanservices/dmhs/disaster/#4

 

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