FEMA Offering Assistance for Homes Damaged in Irene

For those dealing with damage to their homes following Hurricane Irene, FEMA is offering some relief as Somerset County was named as part of the Presidential disaster declaration for areas affected by Hurricane Irene.

According to Bridgewater Township Mayor Patricia Flannery, FEMA has declared Somerset County a disaster area, and is offering assistance to residents needing it.

"There were a lot of flooded basements," she said. "With about 45,000 people, and about 15,000 homes, that's a lot of people who were affected. This is very serious."

Those looking for assistance through FEMA—both residents and businesses—can visit fema.gov or disasterassistance.gov, or call 1-800-621-FEMA to apply for the assistance.

Flannery said it's a short form to fill out, and takes about 20 minutes to do. It requires the social security numbers of those living in the house, as well as other information for the residents of the homes and businesses, she said.

For those looking to apply, Flannery said, the township is recommending people take pictures of the damage to the houses or businesses, and keep all receipts for items purchased as a result of the damage.

"And contact your homeowners insurance companies," she said. "But don't wait to apply to FEMA."

According to a release from the county, preliminary estimates show that about 3,400 homes and about 250 businesses in Somerset County were damaged in the storm, mostly in Manville, Bound Brook and Somerville.

"This is good news for residents of Manville, Bound Brook, Somerville and other communities in Somerset County who sustained damage from the weekend storm," Somerset County Freeholder Director Robert Zaborowski said in the release. "We encourage all eligible residents to start the FEMA application process as soon as they can."