For Immediate Release
Contact: Taylor McFarland, 848-468-9271
Tropical Storm Ida battered New Jersey yesterday and early this morning, resulting in flash flooding and at least fourteen deaths. Governor Murphy declared a state of emergency late Wednesday. The National Weather Service has active flash flooding alerts for nearly every county in the state.
Taylor McFarland, Acting Director of the Sierra Club New Jersey Chapter, released the following statement:
“The deadly Hurricane Ida brought tornadoes, high winds, flooding and more in New Jersey. These storms are yet another reminder that our shore and inland areas are not prepared for climate change and sea-level rise. Sea level is rising and warming temperatures are a one-two punch making hurricanes and storm surges more damaging and even more deadly. Unfortunately we are still building in vulnerable areas and granting permits under Christie-era regulations that don’t protect against climate change or storm impacts. Instead we need to adapt and mitigate. This means limiting development, pulling back from building in flood prone areas, and investing in restoring the state’s natural systems.
“It is clear that New Jersey is Ground Zero for climate change. The Murphy administration needs to quickly take bold action now. NJDEP needs to fix Christie’s rollbacks and put climate change into rules and regulations like CAFRA, Flood Hazard Rules, land use regulations, and air permits. The state has already wasted hundreds of millions of dollars on projects that pump sand onto our beaches that only wash out in the next storm. Instead, New Jersey must invest in long term and effective mitigation solutions for our shore and inland communities. We need to act now to protect New Jersey from climate change for future generations.”