Survey Will Help Sandy-Affected Towns Address Future Flood Risks

August 26th, 2014 by David Kutner

A new survey, commissioned by New Jersey Future and the Sandy-affected communities where its local recovery planning managers are working, will help provide information on how well-prepared community members are to address the risks they face related to flooding and sea-level rise.

The survey, administered by Carnegie Mellon’s Department of Social and Decision Sciences, asks community members to share their beliefs and understanding about flooding and sea-level rise. The results will assist those communities in developing public outreach and education strategies that provide the most relevant and helpful information on ways the community can prepare itself for flood-related risks.

The local recovery planning manager program has placed recovery managers in six New Jersey towns that were especially hard-hit by Sandy — Highlands, Sea Bright, Little Egg Harbor, Tuckerton, Commercial and Maurice River. Through a grant to New Jersey Future, the recovery managers are available at no cost to help their communities with long-term recovery and resiliency planning.

After researchers from Carnegie Mellon compile survey responses, the results will be presented to municipal officials, who will then review the findings at public meetings in each of the towns. The meetings will also serve as forums for public input on various land use planning and public investment strategies the communities could consider to help reduce exposure to future flooding and storm events.

The survey will be open until Sept. 30, and all residents in the six towns are encouraged to complete it.

Flood risk survey