Booker, Kim Lead Delegation Urging Approval of New Jersey’s Appeal for Federal Disaster Assistance After Initial Request Was Denied

WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Senators Cory Booker and Andy Kim led members of the New Jersey congressional delegation in urging President Donald J. Trump to approve Governor Mikie Sherrill’s appeal of FEMA’s denial of the State’s request for a Major Disaster Declaration following the devastating February 22–23, 2026, winter storm. New Jersey submitted its original request for federal disaster assistance on April 7, 2026, and FEMA denied that request on July 2, 2026. “According to data from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, approximately 24 inches of snow fell in less than 24 hours across eastern and central New Jersey, and eight of the State’s 21 counties recorded record or near-record snowfall totals and qualify as ‘core counties’ as laid out by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) in the Public Assistance Program and Policy Guide (PAPPG). Another four counties met the ‘contiguous county’ requirements for snow assistance outlined in the PAPPG,” wrote the lawmakers. The lawmakers’ latest appeal follows a bipartisan April 21 letter from the delegation pressing the Administration to approve the State’s initial request, citing the storm’s deadly impacts, widespread outages affecting more than 127,000 customers, hundreds of accidents, and nearly $100 million in statewide damages. The February storm claimed 12 lives across nine counties, caused extensive power outages, and inflicted significant damage to homes, businesses, and critical infrastructure—costs that New Jerseyans should not be forced to shoulder alone. Preliminary damage assessments for Public Assistance teams documented significant emergency work and damage to public facilities and infrastructure across 19 counties. The storm further strained New Jersey’s emergency response capacity, which was already stretched after the State responded to a major snow and ice storm just weeks earlier and managed six active federal disaster declarations. “A careful review of the State of New Jersey’s appeal demonstrates that this request far exceeds all Stafford Act statutory and regulatory thresholds. The extent of the damage, the operational burden throughout the State, and the cumulative impacts of recent and related extreme weather all provide overwhelming evidence that New Jersey’s request must be granted,” wrote the lawmakers. In addition to Senators Booker and Kim, the letter was signed by New Jersey U.S. Representatives Donald Norcross (D-NJ-1), Herb Conaway Jr. (D-NJ-3), Josh Gottheimer (D-NJ-5), Frank Pallone (D-NJ-6), Robert Menendez (D-NJ-8), Nellie Pou (D-NJ-9), LaMonica McIver (D-NJ-10), Analilia Mejia (D-NJ-11), and Bonnie Watson Coleman (D-NJ-12). Read the full text of the letter here.