PASCACK VALLEY—More than a dozen people waited on line the morning of Sept. 15 outside the Community Center on Jefferson Street in Westwood to speak with Federal Emergency Management Agency workers in the aftermath of Hurricane Ida, which as a tropical cyclone dumped record rainfall leading to flooding in the Pascack Valley Sept. 1.
Westwood posted information on the FEMA team’s visit on its website Sept. 13. The notice said appointments were on a first come, first served basis. Residents were urged to come early due to the significant number of people impacted by the storm.
And FEMA will be at River Vale Town Hall on Monday, Sept. 20 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Mayor Ray Arroyo urged residents via a Facebook post Sept. 13 to take advantage of the visit.
“FEMA will be providing information and helping residents with Ida-related assistance programs such as grants for temporary housing and home repairs, low-cost loans to cover uninsured property losses, and other recovery programs designed to help people and business owners recover,” he said.
On Sept. 15, FEMA had seven workers on site to assist Westwood residents and those of neighboring boroughs and towns who had suffered property damage resulting from flooding.
We stopped by and noted that the FEMA reps well outnumbered those seeking help; some affected homeowners we spoke with later in the day said they had no idea FEMA was sending representatives to the borough.
A FEMA Disaster Recovery Center opened for county residents Sept. 15 at Bergen Community College, Philip Ciarco Learning Center, 355 Main St., Hackensack. Hours are Monday to Saturday from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. A spokesperson said 7,102 county residents had registered claims with the agency as of Sept. 15.
Historic weather
We reported Sept. 13 (“Ida drives damage, heroes: Valley digs out from historic storm, eyeing change,” page 1) that Westwood’s DPW went through the flooded areas of town twice on Sept. 2 with six workers filling five 31-cubic-yard compactor trucks and two 30-cubic-yard Dumpsters with storm debris and flood-damaged property.
Our coverage touched on several towns in the Pascack Valley. Westwood Mayor Ray Arroyo reported that flooding had inundated low-lying areas of town including Nugent, Harding and Steuben avenues.
Westwood received 6 inches of rain, and around 11:15 p.m. Sept. 1, Pascack Brook exceeded 4.5 feet, leaving many streets in Westwood, Hillsdale, River Vale and other towns impassable.
About 18 residents from five homes in Westwood were evacuated by boat during the storm, said Arroyo.
Brenda Nettles, a FEMA disaster survivor assistant, told Pascack Press on Sept. 15 that her seven-member team was being told by federal supervisors where to set up shop on a daily basis, as towns throughout the area continue to reach out to FEMA.
She said her team had already canvassed others towns hit hard by Ida, including Hackensack and Clifton. She said her team helps register homeowners for FEMA flood assistance programs and often helps to expedite paperwork needed to qualify for federal assistance.
Nettles said that FEMA’s work begins after a homeowner is denied insurance coverage on its home insurance policy.
Nettles told Pascack Press that the recovery process involves four steps for homeowners: taking photos of the damaged home and belongings; making a list of damaged or lost items; filing an insurance claim with the homeowner’s insurance company; and applying for FEMA assistance.
FEMA assistance can be applied for three ways: via DisasterAssistance.gov; through the FEMA app; or by calling (800) 621-3362.
Those applying for FEMA aid were asked to provide proof of identification, an insurance determination letter, and proof of occupancy or ownership, said Nettles.
She added it takes about a week once all the proper paperwork has been filed for FEMA to make a determination on the claim. However, FEMA cannot provide assistance for losses that are covered by insurance, the agency said.
FEMA officials could not immediately say how many claims were registered in Pascack Valley’s eight towns.
FEMA has opened Disaster Recovery Centers in Bergen, Hunterdon and Mercer counties to help residents in New Jersey affected by the remnants of Hurricane Ida.
Representatives from FEMA, U.S. Small Business Administration, New Jersey State Office of Emergency Management and other state agencies are available at these centers to explain disaster assistance programs, answer questions about written correspondence and provide literature about repairs and rebuilding to make homes more disaster resistant.
A county emergency
On Sept. 7, Bergen County Executive James Tedesco III and the Board of County Commissioners urged residents and business owners impacted by Ida to apply for federal disaster relief.
Over that weekend, the county received a major disaster declaration from President Biden. The action released federal funding to those in the county who sustained losses from Sept. 1–3 as a result of Hurricane Ida.
Assistance can include grants for temporary housing and home repairs, low-cost loans to cover uninsured property losses, and other programs to help individuals and business owners recover from the effects of the disaster.
