President Biden approves disaster declaration for New Jersey in wake of Ida

WASHINGTON, D.C. (WPVI) -- President Joe Biden approved a disaster declaration for New Jersey in the wake of Ida.

It makes federal funding available to impacted residents of Gloucester, Hunterdon, Bergen, Middlesex, Passaic, and Somerset counties.

An EF-3 tornado was responsible for the damage in parts of Mullica Hill, Gloucester County and nearby Wenonah.

Some homes were utterly destroyed, some were badly damaged, while others were barely touched by a tornado that hit Mullica Hill, New Jersey

President Biden is scheduled to visit north Jersey on Tuesday to see Ida's devastation firsthand.

The declaration makes federal funding available for recovery efforts in several New Jersey counties.

RELATED: NJ residents prepare to rebuild after storm damage in Gloucester County

There was significant storm damage in Wenonah, Gloucester County after the remnants of Hurricane Ida swept across the region.

Full text of Biden's disaster declaration for New Jersey:

Today, President Joseph R. Biden, Jr. declared that a major disaster exists in the State of New Jersey and ordered Federal aid to supplement State, tribal, and local recovery efforts in the areas affected by the remnants of Hurricane Ida from September 1 to September 3, 2021.

The President's action makes Federal funding available to affected individuals in the counties of Bergen, Gloucester, Hunterdon, Middlesex, Passaic, and Somerset.

Assistance can include grants for temporary housing and home repairs, low-cost loans to cover uninsured property losses, and other programs to help individuals and business owners recover from the effects of the disaster.

Federal funding also is available to State, tribal, and eligible local governments and certain private nonprofit organizations on a cost-sharing basis for emergency work and the repair or replacement of facilities damaged by the remnants of Hurricane Ida in the counties of Bergen, Gloucester, Hunterdon, Middlesex, Passaic, and Somerset.

Lastly, Federal funding is available on a cost-sharing basis for hazard mitigation measures statewide.

Deanne Criswell, Administrator, Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), Department of Homeland Security, named Patrick Cornbill as the Federal Coordinating Officer for Federal recovery operations in the affected areas.

Damage assessments are continuing in other areas, and additional counties may be designated for assistance after the assessments are fully completed.

Residents and business owners who sustained losses in the designated counties can begin applying for assistance by registering online at http://www.DisasterAssistance.gov or by calling 1-800-621-FEMA(3362) or 1-800-462-7585 (TTY) for the hearing and speech impaired. The toll-free telephone numbers will operate from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. (local time) seven days a week until further notice.