Letter to William Long, Administrator of Federal Emergency Management Administration - MacArthur Urges FEMA Assistance for Brick

Letter

Dear Administrator Long,

As you are aware, a severe rain storm struck New Jersey on August 13th, 2018. I am urging you to deploy all available federal resources to respond to this devastating storm to ensure a full recovery as quickly as possible.

The National Weather Service reported that nearly 8 inches of rain fell in the Township of Brick on Monday, which is what the area experiences over two months, in less than three hours. Over 100 residents were forced to evacuate and New Jersey declared a state of emergency in five counties, including Ocean County, which I represent.

This is particularly harmful because this community is largely populated by senior citizens on fixed incomes, creating unique challenges for these residents to relocate. Since this community is outside of the flood zone, residents are not required to purchase flood insurance, leaving many of these seniors without any financial support. While the immediate response by state and local emergency responders was professional and strong, the scope of this storm has created a significant burden on a community that is not accustomed to dealing with this severity of flood damage.

To put it simply, our community needs federal assistance immediately and I look forward to discussing this with you directly in the very near future.

Thank you for your consideration.

Sincerely,

Source