How To Apply For FEMA Relief In Bergen County After IDA

BERGEN COUNTY, NJ — With a major disaster declaration approved by the Federal Emergency Management Association for Bergen County, residents can begin applying for aid in recovery efforts after Tropical Storm Ida.

This allows residents to register online for direct assistance for Ida-related recovery, which may include home repairs, temporary housing, low-cost loans, and other programs to help recover from the effects of the tropical storm.

But in addition to applying online, there are other ways to seek aid, and a few things that are important to remember when going through the process.

Here's what to know:

FEMA In Lodi

Bergen County Executive Jim Tedesco announced that FEMA personnel would be in Lodi with their mobile assistance unit to answer questions and help residents complete disaster relief applications.

The mobile assistance unit will be located in the Lodi Shop Rite parking lot located at 175 Main St., and will be operating until 6 p.m. on Wednesday.

When Applying

Residents can apply online, but can also call the FEMA helpline at 1-800-621-3362 or 1-800-462-7585. However, FEMA says call volume is high, so online may be the quickest course of action.

According to FEMA, "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."

The organization continued: "Federal funding is also available to the state and local governments and certain private nonprofit organizations on a cost-sharing basis for emergency work and the repair or replacement of facilities damaged by remnants of Ida in Bergen, Gloucester, Hunterdon, Middlesex, Passaic and Somerset counties. Emergency protective measures, including any direct federal assistance through FEMA’s Public Assistance program, will be provided at 75% federal funding."

When applying for assistance as an individual, it's helpful to have photographs of the damage. FEMA also says the following information is needed to apply:

• Personal information, like your address, social security number and contact information
• Household income
• Insurance information
• Bank account information (to deposit funds into an account)

Other Resources

PSE&G has set up a regional customer care center at Samuel Nelkin County Park in Wallington until 4:30 p.m. on Wednesday. According to Tedesco, residents and businesses can "escalate issues or request visits to their home if they are ready for PSE&G to come back and restore gas service."

There is also an opportunity to get food assistance through the Bergen County Food Security Task Force, Tedesco said.