Governor Phil Murphy just said at an event that the feds approved Essex, Hudson, Union and Mercer for federal disaster relief in the deadly aftermath of Tropical Storm Ida.

That was the question dogging President Joe Biden when he visited New Jersey earlier this week.

Sources at the time said the feds would imminently designate the additional counties for flood relief.

But it was a nearly week-long slog.

From the beginning, other counties and other towns wanted equal access to FEMA disaster relief.

Biden approved major disaster declarations Monday greenlighting federal aid for people in six New Jersey counties and five New York counties affected by devastating flooding last week from the remnants of Hurricane Ida.

“Why do citizens have to be excluded by address rather than need as caused by the exact disaster?” Assemblyman Ralph Caputo (D-28) wanted to know. “More deaths in New Jersey than Louisiana.”

The governor said he got it.

"If you are not in those six counties, we are not done," Murphy said during a news conference Wednesday afternoon. "Our work is not done. We're continuing to work with FEMA and county leaders across the state to expedite damage assessments and have those counties added to the major disaster declaration. This was truly a statewide event, and it demands a statewide response. We made this case directly to the president as well as the FEMA administrator."

Today, he formally announced the additional counties that can apply for disaster relief.

U.S. Rep. Albio Sires (D-8) released the following statement after the Federal Emergency Management

[caption id="attachment_28645" align="alignright" width="300"] U.S. Rep. Albio Sires[/caption]

Agency (FEMA) announced that the Major Disaster Declaration in New Jersey following Tropical Storm Ida would be expanded to include Hudson, Union, and Essex Counties. 

“I am pleased that the Federal Emergency Management Administration (FEMA) has expanded the Major Disaster Declaration to include Hudson, Union, and Essex Counties, which were devastated by Tropical Storm Ida. The expanded declaration will allow residents in these counties to apply for funding through FEMA’s Individual Assistance and Public Assistance programs. I want to thank the Biden administration, FEMA, Governor Murphy, my colleagues in the New Jersey delegation, and all the local leaders who have worked with me to ensure our communities can access the resources they need to work towards recovery.”