New Report Shows New Jersey Is Still on the ‘Long Road Home’ After Sandy

October 25th, 2017 by David Kutner

On Oct. 29, 2012, hurricane Sandy devastated many communities along New Jersey’s coast. Five years later, many families have yet to recover from the storm and are still not back in their homes. A new report entitled The Long Road Home, recently published by the New Jersey Resource Project, documents the journey of Sandy-affected families who continue to struggle to return to stable, permanent housing, and are still suffering the debilitating economic and health effects of the storm.

For The Long Road Home, the New Jersey Resource Project surveyed more than 500 New Jersey families that resided in Sandy communities. The families were asked about their experiences with programs that were intended to help respond to disaster, such as the National Flood Insurance Program and the state’s Rehabilitation, Reconstruction, Elevation, and Mitigation Program. After detailing the results of the survey, the report identifies policies and programs that can be implemented both in New Jersey and across the country to avoid some of the worst impacts of similar disasters. Recommendations include fully funding federal flood mapping; refocusing federal efforts on mitigation; and including sea-level rise projections in planning initiatives. The report also highlights the key role strong state leadership must play both in advancing mitigation efforts and in effective disaster response. The report is intended to improve policy makers’ understanding of residents’ experiences, to focus reforms, and to ensure families’ voices are in the debate – in their words, “nothing about us without us.”

Read or download the full report.