MANVILLE, N.J. (CBSNewYork) — President Joe Biden will visit the Tri-State Area on Tuesday to survey storm damage from Ida.
His trip will include hard-hit neighborhoods in Queens and New Jersey.
On Monday, the president issued a major disaster declaration for several counties.
In Manville, New Jersey, residents are facing heartache and hugs.
“It’s been a family nightmare,” one man told CBS2.
“I could have done cannonballs off my roof, that’s how deep the water was,” resident Anthony Koemple said.
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Koemple has been parting with his family’s precious belongings.
“The kids’ toys are the most heartbreaking, because they don’t understand the magnitude of what happened,” he said.
The basement is still wet and muddy, and half of the family’s first flood sits soaked on the sidewalk. But a surprise for 10-year-old Abby brought one of the few smiles in these dark days.
“My dolly!” she yelled.
Their home is an example of what Biden will be touring, as he sees for himself the impact of Ida and where federal funds will be going to help residents.
Six counties in New Jersey that were hit hard by flooding now qualify for aid — Bergen, Gloucester, Hunterdon, Middlesex, Passaic and Somerset.
Gov. Phil Murphy said he plans on discussing aid for other counties during the president’s visit.
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Hudson, Union and Essex Counties are not included in the declaration — not OK with the Jersey City mayor, who says his city alone is dealing with $35 million worth of damage.
“It’s not like the storm miraculously flew over us and didn’t touch us,” said Mayor Steven Fulop.
Meanwhile in downtown Millburn, dumpsters are full and storefronts are empty.
“I just bought this restaurant two and a half months ago,” business owner Eric Wang said.
Parts of a popular park in Nutley are closed because of gaping holes in the walking path.
In Weehawken, big concerns linger after the storm triggered a rock slide. Homes and businesses are still evacuated.
“Now we’re worried what you see up here is big boulders and a big cement slab coming down, and this is an access road to the Lincoln Tunnel,” said Weehawken Mayor Richard Turner.
A total of 27 people died in New Jersey in last week’s storm, and four people remain missing.
from CBS New York https://newyork.cbslocal.com/2021/09/07/biden-tours-ida-storm-damage/
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