NEWARK, NJ – U.S. Senators Bob Menendez and Cory Booker, and Congressman Frank Pallone (NJ-06) today announced a combined $2.5 million in federal funding from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) to make repairs to the Leonardo State Marina damaged during Superstorm Sandy and support efforts by local leaders in the Two Rivers region to develop science and scenario-based regional resiliency plans to improve response to future storms and coastal hazards.

“As New Jersey continues to recover from Superstorm Sandy, we need to do all we can to build back better than before and equip our local communities with the tools they need to respond and weather the next storm,” said Sen. Menendez. “I’m pleased to see these smart investments in making Monmouth communities more resilient.”

“This federal investment in New Jersey’s rebuilding efforts following Superstorm Sandy will help ensure we are more resilient and better prepared for future disasters,” said Sen. Booker. “Although more than three years have passed since this historic storm made landfall, we must remain committed to ensuring Sandy victims have the resources they need to make their lives whole again.”

“I am pleased that Monmouth County will be getting a critical boost for their ongoing Sandy repair efforts,” said Rep. Pallone. “Grants like this provide much-needed financial relief to our local governments as communities continue to recover from Sandy and take important steps to make our local infrastructure more resilient in the future. I appreciate NOAA understanding the importance of these ongoing efforts in New Jersey.”

Specifically, the grants announced:

  • $1,546,532 for the N.J. Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP) to undertake capital repair work to Leonardo State Marina. The Leonardo State Marina is one of five state marinas owned and operated by the NJDEP, and is the closest marina to the Sandy Hook Bay entrance. As a result of Superstorm Sandy, the Marina was flooded with water six feet above the bulkhead, causing significant structural damage.
  • $898,656 for the N.J. Fostering Regional Adaptation through Municipal Economic Scenarios (N.J. FRAMES.) The goal is to incorporate state of the art science on sea level rise and coastal storm risk into local and regional resiliency plans to create a more consistent and sustainable response to coastal hazards in New Jersey, specifically in the Two Rivers region, along the Navesink and Shrewsbury rivers, that includes the municipalities of Eatontown, Little Silver, Tinton Falls, Shrewsbury, Red Bank, Fair Haven, Rumson, Sea Bright, Monmouth Beach, West Long Branch, Ocean Township and Oceanport.

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