Sandy Shores Awarded $1.3 Million in Federal Disaster Relief Following Riots

SANDY SHORES — The Township of Sandy Shores has been awarded $1.3 million in federal disaster relief funding to address damage from the riots that tore through the community, the Mayor's Office announced Tuesday.

Mayor Frank King Sr. framed the funding as proof that the town is "rebuilding stronger than ever."

"The events surrounding the riots caused significant damage, but they did not break the spirit of Sandy Shores," King said in a statement. "Through cooperation with our state and federal partners, we have secured the resources necessary to rebuild our town, strengthen our public safety agencies, and ensure our residents receive the support they deserve."

King did not take questions following the announcement.

According to the Mayor's Office, the funding will be allocated toward:

• Repairing municipal buildings and public infrastructure damaged during the riots
• Replacing damaged public safety equipment
• Supporting recovery efforts for affected neighborhoods
• Strengthening emergency preparedness and disaster response capabilities
• Long-term resilience projects for the township

The Mayor's Office says it will provide "regular updates" on project timelines, expenditures, and progress, though no timeline for those updates has been made public. The riots referenced in Tuesday's announcement followed unrest tied to disputed results in the Sandy Shores mayoral election, during which widespread irregularities were seen at polling locations. Mayor King thanked federal and state officials, emergency responders, public works crews, volunteers, and community organizations for their work throughout the recovery process, calling the coming rebuild "a safer, stronger Sandy Shores for future generations." Residents seeking updates on funded projects are encouraged to monitor announcements from the Mayor's Office.