As New Jersey continues its reconstruction following Hurricane Sandy, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) is hoping a recently released fact sheet will answer questions and help alleviate some concerns for residents still in the process of recovery.  Among the tidbits offered by FEMA are ways to contact the agency - there are a number of methods - when the registration deadline is set to expire - that's currently April 1, though it's been extended several times so far - and just who is eligible to apply for aid - both renters and homeowners.  The facts presented by FEMA also serve …

  The frantic call for help came from a Dogwood Drive resident as Superstorm Sandy bore down on Bayville. He had not heeded the call to evacuate. "We had a man crying on the phone," Township Council President James J. Byrnes said. "That's when Karin looked at me and I looked at her. She said we had to go get him." Mayor Carmen F. Amato Jr., Police Chief Karin T. DiMichele and Byrnes sat down with Patch recently to recall how they tried to hold the town together after Sandy roared in. Four months later, they are still trying. "It doesn't feel that long," DiMichele said. "It doesn't seem like …

Toms River officials are taking steps toward securing a $5 million FEMA Community Disaster loan for damages sustained during Superstorm Sandy. The Township Council this week passed a resolution executing a collateral security in connection with the loan application, a standard practice pledging the full faith of the township's credit, said Business Administrator Paul Shives.  "In this case, the limit is $5 million per taxing entity," Shives said. As another taxing authority, Toms River school district administrators also have said that they declared their intention to apply for the loan. Toms…

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) is advising seniors recovering from Superstorm Sandy to be on the lookout for scam artists claiming to represent FEMA, the Small Business Administration (SBA) or the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP). By going door to door to storm-damaged homes or making contact by phone or on the Internet, scam artists may try to obtain personal information such as Social Security and bank account numbers or falsely claim that you need to make a payment to a federal agency. FEMA is offering residents a number of tips to ensure that they're not victims of …

Residents who have to elevate their homes in the wake of Superstorm Sandy can learn how it's done at an information session on March 20. The event begins at 7 p.m. in the Berkeley Township Elementary School auditorium at 10 Emory Avenue in Bayville. "As we continue to voice our objection over the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Advisory Base Flood Elevation maps, it's important as a municipality we continue to provide our residents with as many resources and information as possible to help them begin to rebuild," Mayor Carmen F. Amato Jr. said. The seminar features a Power Point …

Island Beach State Park manager Ray Bukowski told Patch the southern half of the park would most likely begin to open to the public within the next month. Bukowski said the area would probably be opened in three stages, from north to south, with the final stage being the end of the park's road to Barnegat Inlet. Currently, members of the public are allowed as far in as the park's administration building, and parking is available at OBA 1. Beach buggy owners can also access that portion of the park, and 2012 beach buggy permits are still being honored. Bukowski said park officials are …

The Federal Emergency Management Agency's advisory flood maps are flawed and do not show the topography that would keep many waterfront homes out of the dreaded "V" zone, Mayor Carmen F. Amato Jr. said. "We disagree with the methodology," the mayor said at the March 11 Township Council meeting, shortly before council members voted to introduce an ordinance approving the guidelines. "The maps are flawed." FEMA did not take into account any of the "impediments" like dunes, houses, bulkheads and other structures that would break any wave action headed toward the mainland waterfront areas in …

In the more than four months since Hurricane Sandy arrived in New Jersey and caused massive destruction to its coastal communities, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has distributed more than $4 billion in aid, loans, and flood insurance payouts, the agency announced recently. FEMA provides regular updates relating to funding totals and the number of residents who have availed themselves of the agency's services as it continues to work in New Jersey to provide assistance following Sandy. According to FEMA, National Flood Insurance Program claim payouts total approximately $2.7 …

The New Jersey Department of Human Services was awarded grant funding to help replenish food supplies used during Hurricane Sandy to feed low income, elderly residents, U.S. Sen. Frank Lautenberg, D-NJ, and Robert Menendez, D-NJ, announced Tuesday. The $75,000 grant will be used to provide county Area Agencies on Aging with funds to replenish the supply of shelf-stable meals used during the storm to feed victims, a release from the senators' office said. "This funding is another example of the federal government stepping up to take care of New Jersey in the wake of Superstorm Sandy," …

Even one of Germany's finest automobiles was no match for Superstorm Sandy. It's tough to tell the exact model this car was, but the body style and taillights indicate it's a midsize Mercedes-Benz, probably from the 1990s. Crews found it in Barnegat Bay Monday afternoon and towed it to the boat ramp at Traders Cove Marina off Mantoloking Road in Brick, where it was hauled out from the murky depths. The muddied car is suspected to have gotten washed into the waterway during Sandy. A contract was awarded by the state last month to Crowder Gulf, a Theodore, Ala.-based company, to remove debris …

  Hold your nose and vote. That pretty much sums up Berkeley Township officials' take on introducing an ordinance to adopt the controversial FEMA advisory base flood maps. "Berkeley Township will be adopting them under protest," Mayor Carmen F. Amato Jr. said. "The adoption in no way endorses the maps, which we know to be deeply flawed." The sole reason the council will adopt the maps is to make it possible for residents to receive Increased Cost of Compliance (ICC) grants, Amato said. "Many of our residents who are looking to rebuild are being denied ICC grant money, because we have not …

A lonely kind of place. That's how Ginnie Kenney described Seaside Heights in the months following Hurricane Sandy.  She said she and her neighbors were expecting visitors to hopefully return to the resort town in June, but she was more optimistic. With the borough working hard at restoration following the storm's devastation, Kenney said she believed St. Patrick's Day was a more likely possibility.  On Saturday, tens of thousands of visitors lined the green-stripped Boulevard in Seaside Heights for the borough's annual St. Patrick's Day parade, the first time its welcomed the public back in …

Superstorm Sandy residents came by the hundreds to today to support the grassroots organization Stop FEMA Now today at the Silverton First Aid Squad building on Maine Street in Toms River. There were few places left to park on the side streets. Drivers searched up and down Pierson Street, Blossom Drive and Oak Hill Drive looking for places to park. "Get the word out," thundered George Kasimos, who organized Stop FEMA Now shortly after the Federal Emergency Management Agency released the advisory base flood elevation data. "We have to get the word out," he said. "Like us on Facebook. Stop FEMA…

Thousands of people crowded the borough's streets, angling through the mass for a position with a decent view. Revelers hung out on motel balconies or behind metal barricades, cheering with the arrival of every beverage. For blocks surrounding the boulevard, drivers circled around, struggling to find a place to park. Welcome back, Seaside. On Saturday, Seaside Heights hosted its annual St. Patrick's Day parade, welcoming tens of thousands of visitors to enjoy the family-friendly event and witness the shore's ongoing reconstruction efforts. With the boardwalk still being installed after being …

A tax assistance seminar aimed at helping those affected by Superstorm Sandy will be held at the Toms River branch of the Ocean County Library on March 18.  Organized by the state Treasury Department's Division of Taxation, the March 18 program from 6 to 8:15 p.m. will bring together representatives from that department, the governor's office and IRS together to help residents as they navigate the reporting of their Sandy-related losses. "These tax assistance events will provide New Jersey residents with the opportunity to obtain free in-person guidance from tax professionals from the …

Republicans ripped Democratic lawmakers Friday and Saturday for calling "witch-hunt" hearings reviewing a contract that could pay a politically connected company to clean up after Hurricane Sandy. Florida-based AshBritt could receive up to $100 million to clean up after Hurricane Sandy and other natural disasters, the Star-Ledger is reporting. Those paid by AshBritt include George Gilmore, the  Republican chairman of Ocean County; Maggie Moran, a former top aide to Gov. Jon Corzine whose husband is the mayor of Belmar; and Kris Kolluri, a New Jersey lobbyist and former head of the state …

Another sign of recovery at the Jersey Shore, the Ocean County St. Patrick's Day Parade will continue its annual march through Seaside Heights on Saturday.  "We're very ready for it," said parade committee chairman Denis Kelly. "Wear your green to celebrate." Participants will march north on the Boulevard beginning at 12 p.m. The mid-week Nor'easter did not impact the parade and it will go on as planned,  Kelly said. Organizers expect 50,000 spectators to watch thousands of participants from over 150 organizations march in the 29th annual family-oriented parade, Kelly said. Among those …

Sandy-battered sections of the township were spared from much damage or flooding during the nor'easter, Mayor Carmen F. Amato Jr. said. "We are extremely thankful we did very well during the nor'easter," Amato said. "I received reports from our Office of Emergency Management that we had about six to eight inches of water in the street down by Balsam Drive, Main Street and some sections off Bayview Avenue in Holly Park." Although Pelican Island and South Seaside Park took on some water in the roadways, the flooding was nothing severe, the mayor said. The Parks and Recreation Department …

The Federal Emergency Management Agency's (FEMA) Transitional Sheltering Assistance program has been extended an additional 14 days at the request of the state, Gov. Chris Christie's office announced Thursday. The extension runs through March 22, requiring eligible households currently living in hotels through the program to check out by the following day, unless the program is extended once again. The TSA program was activated immediately following Hurricane Sandy. The purpose of the program is to allow eligible survivors who cannot return to their homes because of storm damage to stay in …

Don't take no for an answer. Call us. That's the message Freeholder Joseph H. Vicari wants to get out to Superstorm Sandy victims who are still receiving utility bills, even though they may have lost their homes or been displaced. "If they have an issue with a utility company, call us up," he said. 'We will do the best we can." Residents need to call or e-mail the Ocean County Department of Consumer Affairs with their information before they county can act on their behalf, Vicari said. The phone is 732-929-2105. The fax is 732-506-5330. The e-mail is ConsumerAffairs@co.ocean.nj.us. And he has…