FEMA Conducts Preliminary Ida Damage Assessment In Mercer County

MERCER COUNTY — The state Office of Emergency Management and FEMA were out in Mercer County to conduct preliminary damage assessments on Tuesday, according to New Jersey State Police Superintendent Col. Patrick Callahan. They also visited Hudson, Essex, and Union counties.

Mercer County was left out of the FEMA aid list even though many towns suffered considerable damage due to flooding caused by Tropical Storm Ida.

More FEMA aid is expected to come to counties that weren’t included in a major disaster declaration that was declared for New Jersey after the remnants of Hurricane Ida hit the state last week, Gov. Phil Murphy said.

"If you are not in those six counties, we are not done," Murphy said during a news conference Wednesday afternoon.

"Our work is not done. We're continuing to work with FEMA and county leaders across the state to expedite damage assessments and have those counties added to the major disaster declaration. This was truly a statewide event, and it demands a statewide response. We made this case directly to the president as well as the FEMA administrator."

Last week, President Joe Biden declared that a major disaster exists in New Jersey after three tornadoes touched down in the Garden State on Sept. 1. Extra federal funding has been set aside for many - but not all - counties impacted by the storms.

Read More Here: 3 Tornadoes Confirmed In NJ Following Ida's Historic Wrath

"We're confident given the amount of damage that we're seeing that in short order, we do expect that to go in favor of New Jersey," Callahan said, adding that nothing's a guarantee and the state aims to manage expectations.

Meanwhile, Mercer County Executive Brain Hughes has asked residents and businesses to report the damage they sustained during tropical storm Ida. Registering damage on the state portal will help FEMA evaluate the county for potential assistance, Hughes said. The portal will record basic information including name, location, damages, and cost, and need from impacted residents and businesses.

“FEMA is still performing its assessment with county and state guidance, and it’s premature to say Mercer will be excluded from the Major Disaster Declaration,” Hughes said in a statement. “Our Office of Emergency Management staff toured the county with FEMA representatives to survey the damage, and it certainly was extensive in a number of our communities.”

County properties that sustained storm damage include the Park Commission’s Howell Living History Farm, Mercer County Park, golf courses and trail systems; County roadways and eight bridges and culverts, Hughes said. Damage from Ida can be reported here: https://www.nj.gov/ida/

An EF-0 tornado touched down in Princeton during the storm last week, the Storm damage survey team confirmed. Two people from Hopewell Township lost their lives in the flood.

In Trenton, residents living in the city's low-lying areas were evacuated as the Delaware River was forecast to rise above the flood stage. The power grid was turned off in the area until Thursday morning. Residents were asked to seek shelter at the Joyce Killmer School.

Meanwhile, the rising floodwaters of the Delaware, Millstone, and Raritan Rivers caused overwhelming damage to the Delaware and Raritan Canal State Park which runs through Princeton, park officials said. The Park still remains closed in many areas. (See list of closed trails, areas here.)

Read More Here: 2 Killed In Mercer County On Wednesday During Ida Flooding

Read More Here: EF-0 Tornado Confirmed In Princeton During Ida Storm

Read More Here: Evacuations, State Of Emergency: Ida Slams Mercer County

Disaster recovery centers are being established, and the state is working with FEMA on a transitional sheltering program, Callahan said.

As of Wednesday, 27 fatalities have been reported in the Garden State as a result of last week's storm. Murphy is imploring residents to stay off the roads and heed warnings this time around to prevent additional deaths.

Callahan and Murphy also reminded residents to pay attention to the alerts they see on their phones and heed warnings related to flash flooding and tornadoes.

(With reporting from Anthony Bellano, Patch Staff)

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