FEMA funding for Sandy damage in New Jersey tops $6.9B

The Federal Emergency Management Agency says it has pumped nearly $7 billion into New Jersey more than two years after Superstorm Sandy struck.

FEMA says the money has reimbursed municipalities for clearing debris, restored boardwalks and rebuilt critical facilities.

FEMA says it approved nearly $423 million in payments to Sandy survivors and paid out more than $3.5 billion in flood insurance claims to policyholders whose homes were damaged or destroyed.

Meanwhile, U.S. Sens. Bob Menendez and Cory Booker of New Jersey and Charles Schumer and Kristen Gillibrand of New York will launch a Sandy task force on Tuesday. The panel will examine problems with FEMA’s National Flood Insurance Program that arose after Sandy and develop recommendations to correct them.