Runyan Takes Stock of Irene's Toll on County

The day after Hurricane Irene hit, U.S. Rep. Jon Runyan (R-3) and his family—who’d weathered the storm in an RV parked in their Mount Laurel driveway after Irene knocked out the power—climbed in the car and toured the area to take stock of the damage.

They drove through Moorestown, Cinnaminson, Mount Laurel, anywhere the police would let him, he said, and while the wreckage wasn’t as drastic here as areas in North Jersey have experienced, “we had pockets of that devastation down here,” Runyan said.

On Thursday, he visited Burlington County’s emergency operations center (EOC) in Westampton to get a “comprehensive view” of how the county fared during the hurricane.

“From my standpoint, and even talking to other officials, this (EOC) runs very smoothly,” Runyan said. “Everybody knows their place. It’s very refreshing to see that.”

He said the state and local response to Irene was “prudent,” not overblown or excessive. 

“The governor appointed all that. He was in front of it,” Runyan said. “The timing of the storm, if it happens to you on either side of the tide, it’s a totally different scenario. We were very fortunate.”

Among the information county officials shared with him, Runyan learned there are still 22 county residents in shelters and about 150 homes still unlivable, mostly due to flooding.

Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) officials have been assessing the damage in the Garden State this week, with one contingent starting in Cape May County and working their way north and another starting in the northern end of the state and moving south, said FEMA spokesman Bill McDonnell. “They’re going to meet in the middle somehow.”

McDonnell could not say when they’d reach Burlington County, butRunyan said he anticipated a disaster declaration for the county any day, which would free up federal dollars for disaster relief.

There’s a certain threshold of devastation an area must meet for a disaster declaration, the congressman said. There are some communities in the northern part of the state, like Paterson, which continues to be inundated with floodwaters, where the devastation is so obvious they received disaster declarations from the air. 

It’s not as obvious , Runyan said, but “Burlington County is over the threshold. Well above that.”

He advised residents to “stay informed” and if they have questions tocontact FEMA or his office. And if they think they might be eligible for assistance, apply.