If you lost your job as a result of Tropical Storm Ida, you could possibly be eligible for disaster unemployment assistance.

FEMA has declared 12 counties as major disaster areas – Bergen, Essex, Gloucester, Hudson, Hunterdon, Mercer, Middlesex, Morris, Passaic, Somerset, Union, and Warren counties. If you lost your job because of the disaster and work or live in one of the 12 counties, you may be eligible for benefits if:

You are unable to reach their job because you must travel through the affected area and are prevented by doing so by the disaster.
You were to supposed to begin a new job but were prevented from doing so by the disaster.
You became the major supporter for a household because the death of the head of the household was caused by the disaster.
You can’t work because of an injury caused as a direct result of the disaster.

Unemployment is considered a direct result of the disaster if the unemployment resulted from:

The physical damage or destruction of the place of employment.
The physical inaccessibility of the place of employment due to its closure by the federal, state, or local government in immediate response to the disaster.
Lack of work, or loss of revenues, if, prior to the disaster, the employer or self-employed business received at least a majority of its revenue or income from an entity in the major disaster area that was damaged or destroyed in the disaster or an entity in the major disaster are closed by the federal, state, or local government.

Before you can be determined to be eligible for disaster unemployment assistance, it must be established that you are otherwise ineligible for regular unemployment insurance benefits under any state or federal law. You must first apply for state unemployment benefits by visiting MyUnemployment.nj.gov. When applying for disaster unemployment assistants, you should cite “Impacted by Hurricane Ida,” as the reason for separation from a job. If you are deemed ineligible for regular benefits, the New Jersey Department of Labor will reach out to you with more information. Claims for disaster unemployment assistance must be filed by Oct. 20.