Fairfield, NJ — The historic flooding this past weekend has devastated homes and businesses across the 11th District. In response to the executive order issued by Governor Phil Murphy declaring a state of emergency in five counties, Mikie Sherrill, Democratic candidate for Congress in the 11th District, issued the following statement:

“The flooding across New Jersey this weekend hit residents of the 11th District particularly hard — in Little Falls alone, 4 ½ inches fell in under an hour, with little chance to save personal possessions or property. I applaud the Governor’s decision to declare a state of emergency in Passaic and Essex counties so these communities have access to the funding and emergency services they need to address the aftermath of the flooding.

“With serious storms becoming more and more frequent, our next step must be focusing on prevention planning and area resiliency. The threat of extreme weather events only further underscores the need for the National Flood Insurance Program and increased attention paid to the threat of climate change.”

The state of emergency includes Bergen, Essex, Monmouth, Ocean, and Passaic counties. Nearly five inches of rain fell on Caldwell on Saturday, the highest in the state.