Additional Relief Sought For Damaged Crops in 17 Counties, including Atlantic, Cumberland and Cape May
TRENTON � Senator Jeff Van Drew (D-Cumberland/Cape May/Atlantic) issued the following statement on the announcement today that the governor has requested disaster assistance for a number of counties, including Cumberland, to aid in the recovery efforts from heavy rains and flooding experienced earlier this month. The governor has also sought aid from the U.S. Department of Agriculture for damaged crops, caused by severe weather conditions we experienced beginning in May and continuing through the summer:
�Mother Nature has wreaked havoc on our region in recent months, causing widespread damage to homes, businesses, and to our infrastructure. In addition, the severe weather has caused extreme hardship to our farmers who have experienced substantial damage to crops and loss of livestock.
�By all accounts, emergency officials at all levels have done a tremendous job responding to our region�s needs, however, because of the severity of the damage we know that additional assistance will be required. I want to thank Senate President Sweeney for advocating for this critical aid for our region, as well as the governor for recognizing the urgency the situation required and seeking out a disaster declaration from the federal government to help in our recovery effort.�