By JACK FICHTER/Sentinel staff
CAPE MAY — The city will be part of a multi-agency study of high-risk flooding areas across four counties in southern New Jersey.
The New Jersey Coastal Coalition received a $75,000 grant to conduct a U.S. Army Corps of Engineers study to identify high-risk areas and provide potential solutions.
The coalition will work in partnership with Coastal Strategies of Washington, D.C., the state Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) and the Army Corps on a plan to increase resilience to tidal flooding and storm surge through the Army Corps’ Planning Assistance to States program.
As a supplement to the Army Corps’ Back Bays Study — a focus-area study authorized by Congress after Hurricane Sandy — Coastal Strategies was hired as a lead consultant to identify a funding source for a study that would document the cause of the high-frequency tidal flooding problems in 13 municipalities. This included the identification of potential measures to address the problems, an evaluation of the feasibility of remedial measures and potential preliminary conceptual solutions.
Coastal Strategies coordinated the joint partnership between the DEP and the Army Corps of Engineers, Philadelphia District to fund and study the problem. The municipalities to be included in the study are Cape May, Cape May Point, Ocean City, Upper Township, Sea Isle City, Avalon, Stone Harbor, North Wildwood, West Wildwood, Wildwood Crest, Downe Township, Woodbridge Township and Egg Harbor Township.
“This will provide these municipalities with important data that will be used to help mitigate flooding issues that directly impact residents,” New Jersey Coastal Coalition Executive Director Tom Quirk said.
The New Jersey Coastal Coalition is a charitable trust organization and has worked since 2013 on flood mitigation and the challenges faced by New Jersey shore communities on tidal, rainwater and coastal flooding.
“Our active participation in the New Jersey Coastal Coalition is making this possible,” Deputy Mayor Patricia Hendricks said. “I am looking forward to being a part of this for the city to benefit from this in a coordinated effort.”
Coastal Strategies prepares, finances and delivers coastal resilience projects that mitigate against flooding, storm surge and other coastal hazards for state and local governments, businesses and nonprofits on coastal resilience. It has worked with clients nationwide on project planning, federal and state policy, finance, engineering, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers consulting and emergency preparation.