Superstorm Sandy News

N.J. Gov.: FEMA May Scale Back Hazardous Designations in New Flood Maps

Since shortly after Superstorm Sandy pummeled the Jersey shore last October, homeowners up and down the coast have agonized over whether to raise their homes to survive future storms.And when the federal government issued a revised set of preliminary flood …

Dunes vs. Property Rights in Storm-Battered New Jersey

The sand dune that ruined Harvey and Phyllis Karan’s view of the ocean allowed their beachfront home to see another day when Superstorm Sandy’s surge crashed ashore. They still want the $375,000 a court awarded them for the blocked sunrise, …

N.J. Gov. Christie Seeks $250M to Buy Out Homes in Flood-Prone Areas

New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie said on Tuesday, March 19, that he is asking the federal government to let the state use $250 million in Sandy aid to help New Jersey buy out homeowners in flood-prone areas, but he does …

Small Biz Owners Were Hit Hard By Sandy Outages, The Hartford Finds

Among small business owners in New York, New Jersey and Connecticut who were impacted by Superstorm Sandy, some 71 percent of them experienced power outage after Sandy, which led to temporary disruptions in business operations in many cases, according to …

N.Y. Regulators Identify 10 Banks With Worst Sandy Aid Statistics

New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo and the state’s Department of Financial Services announced the “bottom 10” banks with the worst statistics for paying out insurance claims to Superstorm Sandy victims. Officials said they have notified these banks to speed up …

New Maps Put 33K More New Jersey Homes in Flood Zones

New Jersey’s adoption of expanded flood maps in the wake of Superstorm Sandy has put more than 33,000 additional residential buildings in flood zones, a nearly 15 percent increase.The disaster recovery plan announced last week by the Christie administration shows …

N.Y. Gov. Cuomo: Banks Release $112M to Sandy Victims

New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s administration says banks and mortgage service companies have released $112 million in insurance checks intended for victims of Superstorm Sandy, but delayed by bureaucracy. The New York Department of Financial Services had sought to free …

NYC Council Tightens Safety Rules for Post-Sandy Home Elevation Work

The New York City Council has approved new safety rules and procedures this week concerning the city residents’ home elevation projects following Superstorm Sandy. The city council said these rules were prompted in part by Louisiana’s experience following Hurricane Katrina. …

New Jersey Advocates Criticize Gov. Christie’s Post-Sandy Plan

An affordable housing advocacy group said Wednesday that New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie has done a good job of describing the problems faced by low-income residents — especially renters — who were hit hard by Superstorm Sandy, but his plan …

New York State Releases Plans for $1.7B in Sandy Funds

New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced statewide plans Tuesday to use $1.7 billion in federal storm-damage funds for home repairs, government buyouts of property in flood-prone areas, low-interest loans, flood-prevention measures, and other recovery work. Most of the money will …