Frank Pallone Jr.
10/27/2026 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 10/27/2026 15:28
Pallone Leads NJ Delegation Members in Urging Trump to Approve Federal Disaster Assistance Following Devastating September Nor’easter
Washington, D.C. - Congressman Frank Pallone, Jr. (NJ-06) today lead a letter with Representatives Donald Norcross (NJ-01), Jeff Van Drew (NJ-02), Herbert Conaway, Jr. (NJ-03), Josh Gottheimer (NJ-05), Robert Menendez, Jr. (NJ-08), Nellie Pou (NJ-09), LaMonica McIver (NJ-10), Analilia Mejia (NJ-11), and Bonnie Watson Coleman (NJ-12) to President Trump urging him to swiftly approve Governor Sherrill's recent request for a Major Disaster Declaration following the powerful nor'easter that battered New Jersey from September 23 through September 29, 2026.
The request follows a September 28 letter from Pallone calling on state and federal officials to immediately assess storm damage in anticipation of a federal disaster declaration. Those assessments have now confirmed nearly $27 million in damage across Atlantic, Cape May, and Monmouth counties.
"We are writing to express our support for Governor Sherrill's request to declare a Major Disaster for the State of New Jersey for the impacts sustained from this severe weather event," the lawmakers wrote. "The nor'easter brought dangerous conditions to our state causing substantial erosion. In some parts of our state, six to seven feet of tidal flooding inundated businesses and homes, municipal infrastructure such as piers and bulkheads were severely damaged, and vehicles on the street were submerged in flood water. While it appears that flood control projects, berms, and raised homes saved many areas from even worse damage, the destruction left behind from this storm is significant."
On October 26, Governor Sherrill requested federal assistance to help communities cover the costs of storm cleanup, repair damaged roads, bridges, utilities, and other public infrastructure, and strengthen protections against future storms. A Major Disaster Declaration would unlock federal funding to help the Garden State recover from damage that local governments cannot afford to address on their own.
President Trump:
From September 23 to 29, 2026, communities across New Jersey were hit by a powerful nor'easter storm that resulted in intense rainfall, tidal surges, and forceful winds. We are writing to express our support for Governor Sherrill's request to declare a Major Disaster for the State of New Jersey for the impacts sustained from this severe weather event.
The nor'easter brought dangerous conditions to our state causing substantial erosion. In some parts of our state, six to seven feet of tidal flooding inundated businesses and homes, municipal infrastructure such as piers and bulkheads were severely damaged, and vehicles on the street were submerged in flood water. While it appears that flood control projects, berms, and raised homes saved many areas from even worse damage, the destruction left behind from this storm is significant. A post-storm assessment by the New Jersey Department of Environment's Office of Costal Engineering determined that eight federal coastal storm risk management projects were significantly damaged. In its joint Preliminary Damage Assessments (PDAs), FEMA validated damages totaling $26,976,037 for Atlantic, Cape May, and Monmouth counties. The costs associated with these counties greatly exceed federal thresholds that indicate whether the impact to a jurisdiction exceeds the jurisdiction's capacity to fund the cost of recovery.[1]The scope of this emergency requires critical support from the federal government for the State to recover from this storm.
Governor Sherrill requested activation of FEMA's Public Assistance Program (Categories A-G) and the Hazard Mitigation Grant Program (HMGP) to reimburse costs to repair public infrastructure and fund projects that will prepare our state for the impacts of future catastrophic events. We urge you to use the authority granted under Section 401 of the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act, 42 U.S.C. §§ 5121-5207 and 44 C.F.R. § 206.36 to expeditiously declare a Major Disaster for this nor'easter, so the State of New Jersey can effectively recover from this disaster and address vulnerabilities created by this storm.
Responding to major disasters is not just the federal government's job, it's America's promise.
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Frank Pallone Jr. published this content on October 27, 2026, and is solely responsible for the information contained herein. Distributed via Public Technologies (PUBT), unedited and unaltered, on October 27, 2026 at 21:31 UTC. If you believe the information included in the content is inaccurate or outdated and requires editing or removal, please contact us at [email protected]