The federal governemnt will provide $3.1 million to Cranford to help elevate flood-prone homes that were damaged during Hurricane Irene.

U.S. Senators Frank R. Lautenberg, D-NJ and Robert Menendez, D-NJ announced Feb. 28 that the Federal Emergency Management Agency will provide more than $21 million through its Hazard Mitigation Grant Program for flood mitigation projects in New Jersey.

In Cranford, the funding will be used to elevate homes that are located in the township's flood-prone areas. This federal funding will be supported by a $7 million match from state and local governments, bringing a total of more than $28 million to directly assist New Jersey families in the state’s hardest hit communities.

“This funding will help bring relief to the New Jersey families that are most severely affected by flood damage when storms hit,” said Lautenberg, vice chairman of the Appropriations Subcommittee on Homeland Security, which funds this FEMA program. “As we work on long-term flood solutions, these federal funds will prevent damage to the most flood-prone residents and create needed open space. We will continue to fight for federal funds for disaster relief programs to help protect New Jerseyans from future floods.”

“This funding will help ensure that New Jersey homeowners who are vulnerable to floods have the tools they need to prepare for future disasters. It’s not only cost effective to prepare for floods on the front end, rather than do damage control after, but it can save lives and preventable hardships. I’ll continue to work to secure funding to protect New Jersey’s flood-prone homes,” Menendez said.