For Immediate Release
Media Contact: Jackie.Greger@sierraclub.org
TRENTON, NJ – Yesterday, Governor Phil Murphy announced the adoption of the landmark Inland Flood Protection Rule to better protect New Jersey communities on the frontlines of severe flooding and increased storm events. The rule is set to be published in the New Jersey Register next month, and a courtesy copy is available here.
The Inland Flood Protection Rule corrects outdated portions of the Flood Hazard Area and Stormwater Management Rules to better protect people and property from devastating flooding that science shows is occurring with increasing frequency due to climate change. Currently, the state underestimates these floodplains because it uses outdated 20-100 year old data that does not account for recent development and increased rains due to climate change. The rule as proposed requires:
- The elevation of habitable first floors will be two feet higher than currently indicated on NJDEP flood maps and three feet higher than indicated on FEMA maps.
- Applicants for certain permits will use NJDEP’s New Jersey-specific precipitation data when calculating peak flow rates of streams and rivers for permits under the Flood Hazard Area Control Act Rules, N.J.A.C. 7:13, as well as when proposed development triggers compliance with DEP’s Stormwater Management rules, N.J.A.C. 7:8.
The NJDEP has also launched a flood indicator tool, which can aid in gauging flood risk and visual estimates of regulatory jurisdiction on specific land parcels.
This allows for New Jersey to be more resilient to future flooding from stormwater runoff and has the potential to save lives and property across the state. We are pleased to see New Jersey take the first steps necessary to follow the science for future predictions of climate data, so that we are prepared to adapt and respond to the impacts of climate change in real time when lives are on the line.
“New Jersey is long overdue for the climate resilience that the Inland Flood Rule provides. Our state will continue to experience severe weather events and 100-year storms due to the imminent impacts of climate change. More floods are being experienced in places that did not flood before, heavy precipitation episodes are occurring more frequently, and more dangerous storms are being formed and impacting our communities. People are suffering because our infrastructure is not equipped to handle this, and this rule is the first step to address it. The inland flood rule will update the flood data that we rely on and change the ways we build,” said Anjuli Ramos-Busot, New Jersey Director of the Sierra Club. “Every hurricane season is a ticking bomb for the next big storm to come, which is why we need to implement this critical rule now.”
“The Inland Flood Protection Rule is a step into the future. It is not just based on observed precipitation data, but it is also inclusive of future projections based on climate change impacts to New Jersey,” said Anjuli Ramos-Busot, New Jersey Director of the Sierra Club. “If climate change has taught us something, it is that the impacts we are experiencing are worse than previously predicted, which is why it is so critical to be as protective as possible when we build for the future. This rule is about saving lives and putting people out of harm's way. We applaud the NJDEP for recognizing that in order to effectively deal with climate change, we must be cutting edge.”
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About the Sierra Club: The Sierra Club is America’s largest and most influential grassroots environmental organization, with millions of members and supporters. In addition to protecting every person's right to get outdoors and access the healing power of nature, the Sierra Club works to promote clean energy, safeguard the health of our communities, protect wildlife, and preserve our remaining wild places through grassroots activism, public education, lobbying, and legal action. For more information about our work in New Jersey, visit www.sierraclub.org/new-jersey.