Led by founder Frank Rivela, SPPA, in his 43rd year as a public adjuster, and backed by more than $1 billion in property claims handled, the firm is helping Long Beach Island, Manahawkin, Bay Head and Point Pleasant Beach owners document damage and file claims after the nor’easter.
Staten Island, NY, Sept. 30, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Republic Claims Associates, a Public Adjuster in Ocean County NJ serving homeowners and businesses, has opened nor’easter claim help for property owners hit by the storm that battered the Jersey Shore from September 25 to 28, 2026. The firm is representing storm-damaged homeowners and businesses, documenting their losses and negotiating with insurers so policyholders recover the full value of their claims. Its founder, Frank Rivela, SPPA, is in his 43rd year as a public adjuster, and the firm has handled more than $1 billion in property claims. According to Governor Mikie Sherrill, wind gusts reached 74 mph in Surf City on Long Beach Island, and repeated high tides flooded barrier island and bayfront towns across Ocean County. The Governor declared a state of emergency for Ocean, Monmouth and six other counties beginning Friday, September 25 at 5 p.m.
Republic Claims Associates provide public adjusting representation for Ocean County residents to help commercial property owners recover from water and wind damage.
The damage reached both sides of Barnegat Bay. Manahawkin residents described the water as the highest they had seen since Superstorm Sandy in 2012. On Long Beach Island, Surf City and Beach Haven reported flooding, as did Seaside Park. Point Pleasant Beach closed Arnold, Ocean, Broadway, Channel, Inlet and Randall avenues. In Bay Head, Lake Avenue and Bridge Avenue flooded, and beach observation decks were shut because the dunes had been cut away.
What a Public Adjuster in Ocean County NJ Does After a Nor’easter
A public adjuster represents the policyholder, not the insurance company. The carrier sends its own adjuster to measure the loss on its behalf. Republic Claims Associates measures the loss for the owner, builds the claim and negotiates it through settlement.
For Ocean County owners, the work follows five steps:
- Inspection. A licensed adjuster inspects the home or building, including crawl spaces, ground-floor living areas, garages and mechanical systems that sit low on barrier island lots.
- Documentation. The team photographs the damage and prepares a line-item building estimate plus a contents inventory of damaged furniture, appliances, inventory or equipment.
- Policy review. Each policy is read in full to separate what the flood policy pays from what the homeowners or commercial policy pays.
- Filing and negotiation. Republic Claims Associates submits the claim, responds to the carrier and negotiates the amount.
- Settlement. The owner is paid once the claim is agreed.
“On Long Beach Island and around the bay, one storm usually means two claims: flood for the water that came in, and homeowners for what the wind did. People lose money when those get mixed up or when damaged items get thrown out before anyone photographs them,” said Frank Rivela, SPPA, President and owner of Republic Claims Associates.
Wind, Flood and Erosion: Different Risks in Different Parts of Ocean County
Ocean County’s layout shapes the claims. On Long Beach Island, homes in Surf City and Beach Haven face ocean and bay flooding plus the full force of the wind. Mainland communities such as Manahawkin sit along the bay, where tidal water rose into streets and yards. Northern shore towns like Bay Head and Point Pleasant Beach dealt with street flooding and severe dune erosion.
Water that came from the ocean or the bay is flood damage. Standard homeowners and commercial policies exclude it, so it is paid under a flood policy, usually through the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP). Under the standard NFIP policy, a signed proof of loss is generally due within 60 days of the loss unless FEMA extends it. Roof, siding, window and fence damage caused by 74 mph gusts generally falls under the homeowners or commercial policy. Republic Claims Associates handles storm and disaster loss claims on both sides, so owners have one team tracking both deadlines.
For shore businesses, the firm also documents business interruption losses for the days a shop, restaurant or rental property was closed during cleanup.
How the Fee Works
Republic Claims Associates’ fee is based on the claim: it is a percentage of the settlement the firm recovers for the property owner, so the cost is tied directly to the result.
Experience Behind the Claims
Frank Rivela, SPPA, founded Republic Claims Associates in 1989 and has 43 years of experience in property insurance claims. He is the firm’s President and owner, holds the Senior Professional Public Adjuster (SPPA) designation, is considered an expert in the top 1% of the public adjusting field, is a Certified Insurance Instructor and earned an MBA from St. John’s University. He has handled tens of thousands of residential and commercial insurance claims. The firm has handled more than $1 billion in property claims, is licensed, bonded and accredited with affiliations in 47 states and is a member of the National Association of Public Insurance Adjusters (NAPIA).
Republic Claims Associates handles property claims only, working as a public adjustor for homes, businesses and commercial buildings. It does not handle auto claims. From its New Jersey office in Woodbridge, the firm serves Ocean County from Point Pleasant Beach and Bay Head south through Toms River, Manahawkin and Long Beach Island.
Owners looking for a Public Adjuster in Ocean County NJ after the nor’easter can request a claim review by calling (718) 948-4308 or visiting the firm at 6386 Amboy Rd, Staten Island, NY 10309.
About Republic Claims Associates
Republic Claims Associates, also known as Adjusters On Call, is a public adjusting firm founded in 1989 by Frank Rivela, SPPA. The firm represents homeowners and businesses in fire, flood, water, storm and other property insurance claims, with offices in New York, New Jersey and Pennsylvania.
Republic Claims represents property owners that have experience wind damage in Ocean County NJ.
Press Inquiries
Republic Claims Associates Inc.
adjusters [at] rcaclaims.com
(718) 948-4308
https://www.adjustor.com/
6386 Amboy Rd, Staten Island, NY 10309
