Gov. Chris Christie took a stand this week against public officials and community leaders calling on residents to wait for potential changes to Federal Emergency Management Agency flood maps before elevating or rebuilding their homes in the wake of Superstorm Sandy.
Christie, speaking in Lavallette Tuesday, said the state's adoption of FEMA's advisory base flood elevation maps last month will ensure residents build smarter and stronger, and avoid the consequences that came in Sandy's storm surge.
"Fight away, I'm fighting too, but don't tell people not to rebuild their homes if they want to," said Christie.
"Don't we want people in safer homes and more resilient homes?"
Some have called on residents to wait for FEMA to put out revised, preliminary maps this summer before they raise their homes, since those maps may rezone certain neighborhoods and scale back the type of construction or height needed to comply in order to receive affordable flood insurance rates.
But Christie said waiting could cost residents the chance to score grants that could help pay for house raising, at least for primary residents.
The governor said Tuesday that a grant program funded by the federal government could be in place at the state level as early as late March.
"We want people to make a commitment to stay in these communities," he said, and residents deserve a "helping hand."
The grants will come in the form of Community Development Block Grants.
One of the largest ever single allocations of CDBG funds – $17 billion – was included in the federal Sandy relief package passed by congress and signed by President Barack Obama.
Christie said the CDBG funding will be for primary residents only.
Commonman's comment is the truly an example of all too common, "ignorance".
Comparing people to animals, which can fly from one tree to another or dig a new hole, is both silly and offensive. While I understand the necessity of building houses that are more resistant to storm and flood damage I just don't understand how many of the people in the affected areas are going to afford the cost of elevating their homes or the cost of higher flood insurance premiums. Many of these people have lived in these communities their entire lives, and their parents before them. Sadly I see a future where many of the towns along the Bayshore will be slowly gutted as long time residents give up and walk away. Of course the developers will move in, buy up the cheap properties and put up townhouses and condos. The storm continues. The physical damage is over but the financial / emotional damage continues.
The people who live in the battered neighborhood have been enticed by a deal that will pay them 100 percent of their damaged home’s prestorm market value — plus 5 percent if the homeowners stay on Staten Island, Cuomo said. The feds will pick up 75 percent of the tab. “Let’s build back smarter than before, and let’s do it right,” Cuomo said during a visit Monday to the College of Staten Island. “Let’s also recognize that there are some places that Mother Nature owns.” amen
There will be a DEP public hearing a week from Thursday -- MARCH 7TH in Long Branch (5:30 PM, Municipal Bldg., 344 Broadway) about Gov. Christie's adoption of the FEMA rules. Speak out against the rules that will make tens of thousands abandon their homes and businesses because FEMA made them unaffordable!