Flood Barrier USA

New Jersey Presents New Flood Protection Plan

Author: Flood Expert Donna Conneely

Most people are aware that Hurricane Sandy brought massive and catastrophic destruction to much of the Eastern Seaboard. Buildings were flattened, huge sand dunes were obliterated, and cars and trucks were hurled around like toys. Major cities, among them New York and Jersey City, were all but shut down by the storm. Emergency services were unable to handle the large number of calls for help, and transportation systems failed spectacularly.

South River, N.J., July 16, 2013 –Gov. Chris Christie announces post Hurricane Sandy buyout offers for Sayreville and South River homeowners at a press conference in South River. The buyout program is a joint effort of the Department of Environmental Protection, State Office of Emergency Management, and the Federal Emergency Management Agency. Rosanna Arias/FEMA

The state of New Jersey was among the worst as far as transportation failure. As the storm hit, officials were initially comforted by a map that indicated that the New Jersey transit trains were safely parked in dry areas. However, the map had been calculated using incorrect data, and the trains were in fact already underwater. To make matters worse, many of these flooded trains were brand new, and had not yet been in service. This miscalculation cost over $120 million, and caused months of major transit delays after the storm.

The post-storm transit mess was so severe that frustrated commuters loudly made their displeasure known. It was excruciatingly embarrassing to be forced to admit that so many brand-new trains were lost before they had even been deployed. Naturally, transit officials are now eager to remedy the situation by devising a new plan for flood-proofing transit infrastructure, and to reassure citizens that the debacle will not be repeated.

Last June, New Jersey transit authorities unveiled a new plan to prepare for the next Hurricane Sandy. The 16-page report details many new protocols and protections for the area’s trains, tracks, and buses. Topping the list of changes is the relocation of train and bus storage facilities to higher, better-protected ground. In addition to being located outside of the floodplain, the new train harbors must be away from large trees that could topple during a storm. In such an overdeveloped area, it is difficult to find lease-able property large enough and elevated enough, but now suitable transit harbors have been identified, and leases have been signed.

In addition to protection of transit infrastructure, an improved action plan has been developed and put into place. The new plan calls for officials to begin planning and implementing an emergency response at least four days before the storm hits, instead of reacting to a storm as it arrives. Specific action items are assigned to specific individuals, ensuring that important steps are taken on a timely basis. The old storm action plan also listed the steps, but did not assign them to anyone in particular.

Officials stress that the new emergency plan is a “living document”, and will be changed and improved as any new conditions arise. Plans to continue improvements to transit equipment storage lots are in place, and the harbors will be continually monitored for vulnerability. Flood barriers and berms will be considered to better protect crucial infrastructure from future disasters.

New Jersey has learned costly lessons from Hurricane Sandy, and this new plan will go a long way to prevent a repeat of the disaster of nineteen months ago. Flood protection is infinitely less expensive than repair and replacement — this is the message officials have finally taken to heart.

This entry was posted on Monday, August 25th, 2014 at 5:17 pm and is filed under Flood Protection. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.