FEMA Opens Hotline, Website for New Jersey

Individuals and business owners in five northern New Jersey counties can begin seeking federal assistance to recover from Hurricane Irene.

President Barack Obama on Wednesday signed a disaster declaration for Bergen, Essex, Morris, Passaic and Somerset counties.

Assistance can include grants for temporary housing and home repairs, low-cost loans to cover uninsured or underinsured property losses, and other programs to help individuals and business owners recover.

Federal funding also is available to state and eligible local governments and certain private nonprofit organizations in Atlantic, Cape May, Cumberland, and Salem counties.

Additional counties may be added after damage surveys are finished.

Residents and businesses can register online at www.DisasterAssistance.gov or by calling 1-800-621-FEMA between 8 a.m. and 10 p.m. Monday through Sunday.