Month: March 2024

Insurance premiums and adaptation measures have not kept pace with climate change

March 22, 2024 | Financial Times

As communities like Manville, New Jersey, grapple with the aftermath of Hurricane Ida, the Financial Times explores the growing struggles of residents and officials in dealing with floods, shedding light on the tangled issues of climate change, insurance costs, and the need for updated flood protection measures. The Financial Times’ reporter Peter Barber spoke to Blue Acres participant Faisal Mairaj about his experience during and after Hurricane Ida.

Mr. Mairaj recounts the devastation: “There was over 6 feet of water in the house.” However, with support from NJDEP’s Blue Acres program, Mairaj found a solution. Recognizing the escalating risks, he opted to sell his property to Blue Acres. “It doesn’t make sense for these type of properties to remain because it’s only getting worse,” Mairaj said.

“Shawn LaTourette, commissioner of NJDEP, believes the problem is both climate change and bad water management. ‘We’ve been using out-of-date rainfall predictions in our building standards so our stormwater features are not large enough,‘ he points out.” Peter Barber for Financial Times

Blue Acres, dedicated to acquiring and demolishing flood-prone properties, aims to create vital open space as a protective buffer for flood storage.  Meanwhile, as FEMA transitions to a risk-based pricing model, premiums are on the rise. Last year, the US Government Accountability Office cautioned of impending affordability challenges, forecasting a potential doubling of median annual premiums from $689 in 2022 to $1,288 to adequately address the escalating risks.

Read the full story here! 

Blue Acres Individual Consultations: February Recap

March 6, 2024

December 2023 rainfall totals across New Jersey in inches (from 5″ in dark red to 10.99″ in dark green). Image courtesy of the Rutgers NJ Weather Network.

The final month of 2023 proved to be the wettest December in NJ since records started in 1895, with a statewide average rainfall of 8.2”. Followed immediately by the wettest January in a quarter of a century, the multiple flood events this winter caused wrought havoc, causing widespread power outages and leaving roads impassable. As a result of these flood events, Blue Acres received more than ninety new applications for voluntary buyouts.

To better gauge program interest and answer homeowners’ questions, Blue Acres staff hosted a series of private consultation sessions in February. The three sessions, held February 1st, 8th, and 15th, gave homeowners who were particularly hard-hit by the December-January floods the chance to speak one-on-one with Blue Acres representatives. Outreach materials were sent out in English and Spanish with the aid of multiple municipal governments, and a language interpreter was available at each event.

At the first session, held at the Borough of Pompton Lakes Municipal Building on February 1, Blue Acres staff held 18 individual consultations. On February 8 at the Lodi Memorial Library, staff spoke with another 16 property owners individually. A further 19 one-on-one discussions occurred at the online session on February 15. Of the 53 consultations held last month, 22 homeowners opted to apply for a buyout during or immediately following their consultation, accounting for nearly a quarter of Blue Acres applications since mid-December 2023.

Blue Acres remains committed to meeting flood-impacted homeowners where they are and providing personalized attention through one-on-one conversations. Homeowners are always welcome to reach out to the Blue Acres program directly for assistance and information, and they do not need to wait for a consultation event to be scheduled. For more information, contact us at blueacres@njdepwptest.net or (609) 940-4140.

Blue Acres staff answering homeowner questions at Pompton Lakes on February 1, 2024. Image courtesy of News 12 New Jersey.