As someone who evacuated inland from my home in Jersey City during Hurricane Irene, only to have trouble getting home because of road closures, I’ve kept an eye on how the federal government is assisting those whose homes were damaged by the storm. (I was lucky – my community had little to no damage. )

So it’s gratifying both from a human standpoint and a business standpoint to read the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s announcement that more than $200 million in assistance has been approved.

“Recovering from a disaster is never easy,” said William L. Vogel, federal coordinating officer for the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) in a press release. "We're confident that a significant number of those affected by this year’s disasters have taken the important first steps towards renewing lives and property.”

According to the New Jersey Office of Emergency Management (NJOEM) and FEMA, 43,816 registrations have been approved for federal assistance, as has nearly $134 million in housing assistance for housing-related needs and repairs. Also okayed was more than $57 million in U.S. Small Business Administration low-interest disaster loans to nearly 1,400 households and businesses.

And that’s good news for the retailers and contractors who will help households repair and rebuild, coming just in time to boost the holiday sales season – this year, it really is appropriate to give tools as gifts.

The monies also will be a gift to commuters, as $1.2 million has been awarded to help rebuild infrastructure, an ongoing project. And that means more jobs for more local businesses, which should help our very slow recovery.

I wouldn’t exactly call Irene a gift that keeps on giving, but let’s hope that her aftermath boosts real estate throughout the Garden State.