County Gets Federal Declaration For Public Assistance

Editor's Note: The following is a news release issued today, Nov. 5, by the Mercer County Administration.

Mercer County is now among the New Jersey counties eligible for federal public assistance as a result of the impact of Hurricane Sandy.

What this means is that government agencies, hospitals, colleges, public schools and certain nonprofit organizations are eligible to apply for partial reimbursement for emergency work, repairs and expenses incurred as a result of Hurricane Sandy.

Mercer County still awaits a decision on eligibility for Individual Assistance for homeowners and business owners who suffered damage from the storm.

Mercer County Office of Emergency Management is eyeing another developing storm that is forecast to hit New Jersey Wednesday into Thursday.

Residents should treat the forecasted nor’easter as they would any serious storm and can visit the Mercer County website for information on what supplies a family should have on hand in an emergency. The storm has the potential of heavy rainfall, snow and winds.

“We realize many people are still working to recover from the impacts of Sandy, but preparing for storms is the key to weathering them, especially when they bring extended periods without power,” Mercer County Executive Brian M. Hughes advised.

The Mercer County Emergency Operation Center, located at the Dempster Fire Training School in Lawrence Township, will continue to operate during this upcoming storm.

As Mercer County residents continue to pick up the pieces after Hurricane Sandy, Hughes encourages neighbors who have sustained little or no damage to consider donating time or money to legitimate organizations such as the Red Cross  http://www.redcross.org/charitable-donations or Salvation Army, https://donate.salvationarmyusa.org/. People may also call 1-800-JERSEY-7.

County offices will be closed on Election Day, Tuesday, Nov. 6.

Some polling locations have been moved due to the effects of the storm. The following towns have been affected: East Windsor, Hightstown, Hopewell Township, Princeton and West Windsor.

For updated information, go to www.mercercounty.org and look for the information box at the top of the page. For additional information, contact the Board of Elections at (609) 989-6522.