The devastating impact of major hurricanes remains a critical concern for coastal communities across America, as evidenced by Hurricane Sandy’s catastrophic strike on the Northeast United States in October 2012.
This intense Atlantic storm affected millions of people, causing prolonged power outages, widespread property damage, and tragically claiming numerous lives during its peak surge. New Jersey bore some of the heaviest impacts, with 346,000 homes destroyed and 37 lives lost. The state's governor at the time described the devastation as "probably the worst we've ever seen." In the storm's aftermath, the New Jersey Department of Community Affairs (NJDCA) faced severe challenges as it took on much of the responsibility for coordinating recovery and relief efforts.
The challenge
NJDCA faced an overwhelming disaster that required a comprehensive recovery plan. The department needed strategic planning, practical implementation tools, and robust reporting systems to manage the Hurricane Sandy relief programs effectively.
New Jersey received a $4.1B Community Development Block Grant – Disaster Recovery (CDBG-DR) from the Office of Housing & Urban Development (HUD), which would be distributed throughout communities and to organizations and individuals needing housing assistance.
To effectively and transparently receive, track and distribute these recovery funds, the state needed a strategic plan and supplementary technology solution to manage the end-to-end process.
The solution: SIROMS
With the help of CGI’s disaster recovery team and application development expertise, the state of New Jersey quickly set up the Storm Integrated Recovery and Operations Management System (SIROMS) software application, which allowed it to automate funds disbursements to residents in need of housing assistance. The application was expanded over time to allow the state to track budgets according to HUD’s budget structure, receive funds returned to the programs, receive income earned from loan programs, and provide the reporting required by HUD.
As the recovery phase continued, the state uncovered challenges with tracking the grant applications for its largest assistance program. The state worked with CGI to further enhance SIROMS and replace their existing system with one that could meet their tracking and reporting needs. The success of these enhancements led the state to continue to enhance its platform to support additional grant management programs, rebranding it to the State Integrated Recovery Operations and Management Systems (SIROMS). By continuing to enhance SIROMS to be more configurable and template-driven, NJDCA was ready to implement other grant management programs significantly faster and more efficiently.
Disaster-ready: a resilient recovery platform prepared for future challenges
Years later, when the COVID-19 pandemic halted the economy, and Hurricane Ida devastated New Jersey's infrastructure, the state recognized its return on investment in SIROMS.
New modules derived from an existing baseline module also rapidly supported Ida Programs. Continuing to build on the SIROMS foundation, functionality was developed to allow citizens to request and submit applications online. Applicants who move forward in the process have access to a portal that has been built to support users on multiple device formats. In this portal, applicants can view upcoming events such as meetings and inspections, submit required documentation, and message with agency representatives.
On-the-go access: mobile-optimized solutions for field inspections
NJDCA and CGI developed a mobile application that integrates with key modules to support the agency's ability to conduct inspections. The app allows inspectors to collect information and photos during inspections and consolidate that into a report that provides stakeholders seamless visibility into the scope of damage and the repair progress of inspected properties. As a result of the successful partnership between CGI and the State of New Jersey, SIROMS has managed the distribution of over $7.2B in recovery funds. The Sandy Grant resulted in the repair of over 7,300 homes. Over 10,000 citizens were able to apply for programs under the Ida Grant. Financials for more than 350 American Rescue Plan Act programs impacting citizens across the State are tracked in SIROMS.
The SIROMS solution has received consistently high praise from federal, State and third-party auditors for its traceability and clarity of use. CGI's proven recovery solution and industry expertise helped New Jersey effectively and efficiently deliver funds into individuals' hands faster while also helping them meet the Federal and HUD reporting requirements. As of May 2025, the State has delivered nearly 11,000 reports over the past 48 quarters to HUD and 2,100 reports over 14 quarters to the United States Treasury.
CGI's Natural Disaster Recovery practice helps clients improve insights and efficiency to meet stakeholders' needs through transparency and data centralization in the event of a natural disaster.
