Following the devastating Hurricane Ida that flooded roads, shut down power, and killed dozens of people, Hudson County received a Major Disaster Declaration by the Federal Emergency Management (FEMA), according to Mayor Ravi Bhalla in a city-wide announcement released last Friday.
The storm, which caused historic flash flooding, tornadoes, and record rainfall, resulted in the tragic deaths of at least 30 people. In Hudson County, many towns experienced severe flooding, particularly Jersey City, Hoboken, and Bayonne. Weehawken was hit with mudslides. North Bergen, West New York, Union City, Secaucus, and the rest of Hudson County faced floods from the massive rainfall.
In the days that followed the storm, a boil water notice was issued by local authorities, urging residents to boil their water for at least one minute and allow it to cool before drinking or using it in food. According to authorities, the storm damaged local infrastructure that carries water, causing “harmful microbes in drinking water [to] cause illness and could pose a health risk.” This boil water order lasted three days before it was lifted.
At its peak, rainfall exceeded 4.32 inches per hour. This is the most rain recorded in a single storm since 2016, on par with Hurricane Irene in 2011. By contrast, rainfall during the first part of Henri was 4.07 inches in 4.5 hours, Tropical Storm Fay was 3.04 inches in 6 hours, and the Cinco de Mayo storm in 2017 was 3.09 inches of rain in 8 hours.
By receiving the Major Disaster Declaration, a wide range of emergency federal resources are available for businesses and residents. When FEMA first approved the declaration on Sept. 5, Hudson was notably absent from the declaration, which included Bergen, Gloucester, Hunterdon, Middlesex, Passaic and Somerset counties. Without Hudson County included on this list, local authorities urged state and federal agencies to include the area, and within the week, Hudson County received the disaster declaration.
“I’m thrilled that Hoboken and Hudson County have now been provided with the Major Disaster Declaration, an important first step in unlocking critical funding to assist those impacted by Tropical Depression Ida” said Bhalla. “Thank you to Governor Murphy, Senator Booker, Senator Menendez and Congressman Sires for their constant communication with my office, and strong support and advocacy for Hudson County, as well as to President Biden and FEMA for recognizing the substantial impact flooding from the storm had on our region.”
When President Joe Biden visited the Hudson County area following the storm, he attributed the severe damage to climate change, saying that rising global temperatures and sea levels have become “everyone’s crisis.” He warned that America needs to get serious about the “code red” danger or face worse loss to life and property.
Authorities encourage homeowners or renters with flood damage to, first, process insurance claims, and then apply for disaster funding through FEMA at disasterassistance.gov. If it is not possible to apply online, residents can call 800-621-3362. The toll-free telephone lines operate from 7 a.m. to 11 p.m. EDT, seven days a week.
Additional assistance, including options for small businesses, is available at the dedicated Hoboken recovery webpage at hobokennj.gov/ida.
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