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CNN Live Event/Special

New Jersey Governor Chris Christie and Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano Deliver Remarks on Hurricane Irene Aftermath

Aired August 31, 2011 - 15:59   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

(JOINED IN PROGRESS)

GOV. CHRIS CHRISTIE, (R) NEW JERSEY: I want to thank the county administrator and the county OEM director. When the state was in real crisis on Saturday night you need the house people from Atlantic County who need to be evacuated before the eye of the storm came onshore, it was Morris County that stood up at the Mennen Arena and put together a shelter for us there.

And we brought about 600 Atlantic County residents up to Morris County by bus, and they stayed here until the storm passed, and then they returned home Sunday night safe and sound. You were able to take care of your neighbors in Atlantic County who were about to have that storm come right on shore in their neighborhoods.

So I want to thank all the folks in Morris County for their great work.

(APPLAUSE)

CHRISTIE: So, without any further speeching from me, I want to thank the secretary again for her great leadership, thank the president for his leadership as well. I spoke to him a couple of days ago. He called to personally ask how things were going in New Jersey. He wanted me to relate to all of you that he is personally concerned about what's happening in our state.

And I'm sure that that's one of the reasons the secretary is here is because her boss, the president of the United States, wants to make sure that folks are being taken care of here in New Jersey. I want to thank the president for his leadership.

And I want to take a moment to introduce for some remarks the secretary of homeland security, Secretary Janet Napolitano.

JANET NAPOLITANO, HOMELAND SECURITY SECRETARY: Thanks. Thank you.

(APPLAUSE)

NAPOLITANO: Well, thank you, Governor.

And we have been on the phone several times as well over the course of this. And you have been providing great leadership in this state. So congratulations to you as well.

(APPLAUSE)

NAPOLITANO: And President Obama is very concerned about the situation in New Jersey. He knows about all of the rivers being in flood stage.

He knows that this event started off as hurricane on the coast, but transformed itself into a huge inland flood involving many states and many rivers. And so he understands the different dimension of this storm and how people are out of their homes now. Communities have been affected. Main Streets have been flooded. Businesses have been lost.

We now are in the process of not just response, but recovery, how we bring our communities back, and back even stronger. He is so invested, I think, in New Jersey that I'm privileged to announce that he will be in New Jersey on Sunday afternoon. He's going to come himself.

(END OF CNN COVERAGE OF A LIVE EVENT)