NJ Organizing Project/Dorset and Monmouth avenues.
TRENTON – Four New Jersey regional groups have released their climate action plans in advance of the 10th anniversary of Superstorm Sandy, the NJ Department of Environmental Protection announced today.
The plans for the Northeast, Raritan River and Bay, Long Beach Island and Atlantic County Costal regions include resilience actions affecting 24 communities, including Ventnor, Margate and Longport.
The plans were developed by community leaders and residents in consultation with expert advisors from the NJ DEP. They prioritize strategies to address climate change and sea level rise. The press release states that a Sandy-like storm surge in 2070 would cause $45 billion in damages in comparison to Sandy which caused $30 billion in damages statewide.
“Our communities are on the front lines of dealing with the impacts of climate change – and each one faces unique challenges,” DEP Commissioner Shawn M. LaTourette said, commending communities that take steps to become more resilient.
The Atlantic County Coastal Region, which includes Atlantic City, Downbeach towns and Brigantine, Northfield and Atlantic County, has implemented a Living Bay Master Plan and a Bayshore Continuous Shoreline Protection Study to leverage private investment in a “blue/greenway trail” along Absecon Bay; innovative stormwater management infrastructure and feasibility study of “blue/green streets” such as pervious surfaces to conduct stormwater; hardening utilities, installing pump stations, backup generators in low-lying areas, elevating evacuation routes, and improving emergency planning and notifications to vulnerable populations; and increasing parking lot and rooftop solar arrays and microgrids to provide alternate power sources during emergencies.
The plans were funded by the National Disaster Resilience Competition for regional planning projects. So far, Resilient NJ has awarded more than $17 million in FEMA Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities (BRIC) funding for projects in Newark and Bayonne. All three Downbeach towns have submitted applications for BRIC funding to complete projects that make their communities more resilient to storms.
Learn more about Atlantic County’s Action Plan at https://resilientnj-accr.com/
The NJ DEP has also created a microsite to remember the storm, complete with resources to better prepare for future storms. See NJDEP| Remembering Superstorm Sandy | Home.
