Governor Gives Snowstorm Assessment Update

TRENTON — Governor Jon S. Corzine announced Dec. 23 that the state Office of Emergency Management would review all data and damage assessments from Saturday’s winter snowstorm to determine if a request for federal disaster assistance is appropriate.
“Our Office of Emergency Management is already working with its state and local partners to gather all necessary data, including counties and municipalities most impacted by the winter storm,” Corzine said.
To be eligible for federal disaster aid for snow removal costs, a declaration of a state of emergency is not required. New federal guidelines require that an affected area seeking federal assistance for snow removal exceed the historical accumulated snowfall mark for that area.
Additional information to be collected ranges from accumulation amounts to accurate historical records from the National Weather Service. Once gathered, the information will be measured against existing federally mandated FEMA standards and requirements for federal reimbursement.
At the same time, the State is completing a similar process for its own internal agencies that were involved in the response and recovery efforts to the weekend storm.
Upon thorough completion of the data collection process, state officials will then make a recommendation to the governor, based on federal guidelines, whether or not a request for federal disaster assistance should be made.