PATERSON, N.J. — President Barack Obama stood on a bridge overlooking the rain-swollen and fast-rushing Passaic River in Paterson, New Jersey’s third-largest city, and said Sunday that the federal government would work to rebuild towns recovering from Hurricane Irene’s wrath.
The Passaic, which had washed over the bridge, swept through the once-booming factory town of 150,000, flooding downtown and forcing hundreds to evacuate. More than 100 people had to be rescued from the rising waters after the storm.
“You know, it could have been worse. But we should not underestimate the heartache that’s going through a lot of these communities, affecting a lot of families,” Obama said.
He pledged to people all along the Atlantic Coast who were affected by Irene that he won’t allow “Washington politics” to get in the way of bringing federal help.
The Federal Emergency Management Agency has less than $800 million in its disaster relief fund through September and the agency is putting on hold new rebuilding projects.
