New Jersey Future Statement on Recent Severe Flooding Throughout the Northeast

TRENTON, July 13, 2023—Lindsey Sigmund, PP, AICP, Program Manager at New Jersey Future states:

“Recent flooding throughout the region should remind all of us about the severity of flood risk in New Jersey. July rains have wiped out roads and railways in addition to causing tremendous property damage in New Jersey and elsewhere. It is imperative that we invest in our “invisible infrastructure”, our stormwater systems, that work overtime during rain events and ensure that flood waters aren’t jeopardizing our visible built infrastructure. Our Fiscal Year 2024 Budget did not allocate sufficient funding to water infrastructure issues, despite the present and increasing threat of climate change. Recently NJDEP rolled out the New Jersey Protecting Against Climate Threats (NJ PACT) regulatory reform, which expands the areas of our state we consider flood prone and will change the way we build or rebuild in vulnerable areas. However, this rule change will not address our existing infrastructure that is in harm’s way. There is more work to be done to ensure we have a holistic understanding of flood risk and that our existing assets are protected.”