City Officially Opens Hurricane Resource Center

For those Hobokenites impacted by Hurricane Sandy, the city has opened a Hurricane Resource Center on First Street.

Mayor Dawn Zimmer attended the official ribbon cutting on Tuesday  morning at 251 First St.

The city is looking to staff the center with volunteers, Zimmer said.

"People can come here to see what the opportunites are," Zimmer said, to receive FEMA money or an SBA loan. The center is supposed to help people "get back up and running," Zimmer added.

Zimmer urged everyone impacted by the hurricane — if they haven't done so — to complete the paperwork and register with FEMA. The deadline to apply for aid has been pushed back to April 1.

The center will be lead by Carly Ringer, who played a large role in the volunteer effort during the hurricane's aftermath.

Also present on Tuesday morning were several members of the American Legion Chapter 107 who were based at 308 Second St. until they were flooded out. 

Ernest Rudente, 83, said he had never seen it "flood like that" in his 82 years in Hoboken.

The veterans are temporarily based out of the Elks Club, but are looking for FEMA money to rebuild their own place.

Memorabilia and documents going as far back as World War I were lost, said Thomas Kennedy, one of the members of the American Legion.