well while local Beach officials worry about raining in unruly crowds this summer they'll also need to contend with the start of the Atlantic hurricane season now forecasters are calling for an average cycle but warn that even typical years have the ability to unleash devastating storms just as survivors of hurricanes Ida and Sandy who were at the state house today continuing to push for passage of storm recovery bills years after their lives were upended senior correspondent Brenda Flanagan reports today is the start of the Atlantic hurricane season which is kind of part of the reason we're here today New Jersey storm survivors Mark the start of hurricane season by reminding Trenton lawmakers they're still suffering from damage inflicted by Ida in 2021 and even Sandy almost 11 years ago these victims posted photos showing wrecked and flooded houses described wrestling with a government bureaucracy that they feel abandoned them to death and despair Sandy families are standing with Ida families because we're all facing the same broken system across storms years and county lines to know nobody was there to help and we have FEMA which is for Federal Emergency Management agency that's not true they all they did was give me your information call again give me your information call again I the Survivor shashuna Atwater says many fell through the cracks after Sandy FEMA distributed two billion dollars in public assistance grants in New Jersey and it provided 178 million in Ida's aftermath but atwater's family lives in a Newark rental that Ida flooded with hazardous sewage waste and they cleaned it up themselves while living there the smell the mopping of my walls hosing them down because I had a line of a brown stain all around my basement from the water she says they got a little bit of money from the Ironbound Community corporation which helped them buy clothes and cleaning supplies unfortunately because we are on a fixed income and it was the middle of covet we weren't working so it was a double whammy it doesn't feel like it's two years later it still feels like it just happened Stephanie and Chris has good live in Manville's Lost Valley hit hard by Ida President Biden saw the devastation there for himself the house Goods home and cars flooded and needed significant replacement and repairs much of it paid for out of their own pocket half of our house is still not finished we still have studs we only have one floor um we just can't afford to fix it Advocates support three pieces of legislation they say could offer relief to both Sandy Sandy to survive one bill it's a hundred million dollars for Ida victims another provides 22 million for Sandy families and forgives the so-called clawbacks that seek to recover grants made to elevate the homes of storm victims like 80 year old Ventnor retiree Fran baronowitz the state wants her to pay back 35 Grand I don't have it I mean I'm retired I live on Social Security and the little bit of pension that I get from my job a third Bill offers 18 months of mortgage payment forbearance for Ida survivors and would protect an estimated 2 000 of them now facing foreclosure it would give families a fighting chance to recover mortgage forbearance would be a major Lifeline it would give us the time and money we need to start paying for the repairs we need eliminate debt from repairs we already did and positions we had to replace and give us the breathing room we need to get back on our feet that bill unanimously cleared a senate committee but most legislations on hold for now as lawmakers work on the state budget and campaign for re-election at the State House in Trenton I'm Brenda Flanagan NJ Spotlight news [Music]