Dec 3 (Reuters) - New Jersey Governor Chris Christie is
asking the federal government to reimburse the state for 100
percent of emergency costs for at least 90 days after Superstorm
Sandy swept ashore on Oct. 29.
In a letter to the Federal Emergency Management Agency dated
Nov. 30 and released on Monday, Christie said the economic
damage from the storm could be nearly $40 billion.
FEMA generally reimburses states for 75 percent of emergency
clean-up and repair costs from natural disasters. The agency can
cover more, but state officials must ask for the relief.
Christie previously asked for 90 percent reimbursement.
New York Governor Andrew Cuomo asked for full reimbursement
for qualifying expenses not long after the storm subsided. He
has estimated that New York needs nearly $42 billion to recover
from the storm and prepare for future severe weather.
The state of Connecticut is also asking for $3.2 billion for
mitigation efforts, and it suffered another estimated $360
million in damages.
In New Jersey, getting money to help cover clean-up and
restoration costs will be critical to making sure that the
Jersey Shore, a popular summer vacation spot and a key source of
revenue for the state, is up and running in time for the 2013
tourist season, Christie said in his letter.