New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy plans to send $10 million in relief to small businesses hit by Hurricane Ida, he announced Friday at a press conference in Millburn, where floodwaters caused serious damage over the past 24 hours.
Across New Jersey, 25 people lost their lives to the storm, Murphy said. At least six people remain missing.
“As with any emergency situation, our top priority is the health and safety of New Jerseyans, and we extend our deepest condolences to those families experiencing the loss or grave injury of a loved one,” Murphy said. “Now that the skies have cleared, we are eager to get to work on helping those who are waking up to harsh economic realities reclaim their livelihoods and mitigate Ida’s financial impacts to their businesses and the hardworking people they employ.”
The New Jersey Economic Development Authority will provide the funds, which will come in addition to any other aid for affected home and business owners that will come from the federal government or other sources.
The proposed $10 million grant program will target small businesses and nonprofit entities with up to 50 employees for grants of $1,000 to $5,000 dollars. Landlords and home-based businesses are not eligible for grant funding through this program. Under the preliminary plan, to be eligible, the applying entity must:
The Murphy administration will present the proposed program to the NJEDA board on Sept. 8 If approved, the agency will release further details about eligibility and how to apply.
‘It’s catastrophic’
Floodwaters have largely receded following historic rains brought by remnants of Hurricane Ida, but residents and business owners in Philadelphia’s hard-hit Manayunk neighborhood are just beginning to dig out.
The Schuylkill River blew past previous records, surging nearly a dozen feet beyond flood stage and sending water into shops and homes along Main Street and leaving the strip caked in silt and mud on Friday.
I’m out on Main Street in Manayunk this morning, where people are just starting to come out and survey the damage from yesterday’s insane flooding. Talking to residents and business owners — if you know of anybody in the area who was hard-hit and needs help, let me know. pic.twitter.com/13r0FpoiIS
— Katie Meyer (@katieemeyer4) September 3, 2021
Tim Spinner, owner of Taqueria Amor, said the flooding damaged his business’s new HVAC system. But he says he was lucky compared to others. Still, for his and other restaurants, the catastrophic flooding couldn’t come at a worse time.
“We were just getting on our feet in this pandemic,” Spinner said.
Mike Rose, owner of Manayunk Brewing Company, was among the worst hit. On Friday, he was out with rubber boots on, taking stock of the damage at a business that is sited in a particularly flood-prone bend in the Schuylkill.
“It’s catastrophic, it’s the worst we’ve ever seen,” he said. “But we’ll get through it.”
Tim Spinner owns Taqueria Amor, which now needs a new HVAC system. But he says he was lucky compared to others. This is a close-knit business community, he says, and he feels awful for people who got the worst flooding. “We were just getting our feet in this pandemic.” pic.twitter.com/cK04bVtboo
— Katie Meyer (@katieemeyer4) September 3, 2021
Marquise Jones, 26, has also had a long 24-hours. He works with his family’s towing company, which has a parking lot right on the banks of the Schuylkill and said all the cars parked there were floating yesterday — and any car that took on water was a total loss.
“The insurance companies don’t play,” Jones said.
The Philadelphia suburbs were also pummeled, with Montgomery County recording at least three fatalities.
Aqua, a major suburban water utility provider asked customers across southeastern Pennsylvania to discontinue nonessential water use until further notice as utility crews work to restore two flood-damaged water treatment plants.
“The remnants of Hurricane Ida wreaked havoc throughout southeastern Pennsylvania,” said Aqua Pennsylvania President Marc Lucca. “And our thoughts and prayers are with all of the people devastated by terrible flooding, tornadoes and high winds. Our employees are working tirelessly to restore full water supply to serve the families, businesses and communities who rely on us, and we appreciate our customers’ cooperation by conserving water.”
Pumping out the Vine Street Expressway
Crews were continuing to pump out water from the Vine Street Expressway Thursday night after the remnants of Hurricane Ida caused historic flooding in the Philadelphia region.
Earlier in the day, a bright sun glistened off the ripples of floodwaters. Residents were stunned after the highway turned into a river.
By Thursday night, crews were still hard at work getting the city’s major thoroughfare back to normal.
“It’s nuts. The water is almost up to that sign,” said Neil Ray who lives along the expressway.
Officials said a major pumping station along the Vine Street Expressway failed and halted water from being properly pumped out of the area. Tree debris may have also contributed to the issues.
By about 5 p.m. Thursday, the water slowly started to recede, but the roadway was still under more than 10 feet of water. The highway remains closed as the pumping effort continues.
As the Schuylkill crested near historic levels, residents of the Park Towne Place Apartments were ordered to evacuate quickly. They had a 12:45 p.m. deadline.
The power was knocked out at the apartment, and outside the complex flash flooding swallowed cars and a nearby swimming pool.
The owner of the Park Towne Place tells Action News that it’s unclear when the building will reopen, but residents have been moved to other housing in the city.
At another apartment building a few blocks away at 22nd and Arch streets, the Pennsylvania National Guard helped stranded residents and pets get to safety.
“All of us lost our cars but other than that we are safe. The dogs are safe. We are appreciative that they came and saved us,” said resident Samantha Berman.
No injuries were reported in either apartment building.
The severe weather led to 16 tornado warnings Wednesday night. The National Weather Service confirmed at least seven tornadoes in South Jersey and southeastern Pennsylvania.
The storm is being blamed for four deaths. A woman was killed in Upper Dublin Township, Pennsylvania when a tree fell onto a home, authorities said. The storm also killed two others in Montgomery County and a Montgomery County man driving in Bucks County.
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‘Worst we’ve ever seen’: Manayunk rocked by Ida as 676 remains closed - WHYY
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