Home Buyouts in Flood Zones to Begin Soon

Home buyouts in areas prone to flooding expected to start soon, though participation remains voluntary.

Buyouts of properties in flood prone areas are expected to begin within a matter of weeks, beginning in Middlesex County and working south into the summer months as residents and their respective town officials make the difficult decision to abandon entire neighborhoods for good. Though buyout specifics have been limited, Bob Martin, commissioner of New Jersey’s Department of Environmental Protection, said between eight and 10 towns along the coast have inquired about participating in the State’s Blue Acres program, which purchases severe repetitive-loss homes in flood areas and converts the land into open space. Martin said he wanted to be cautious about naming the municipalities that have inquired about the property buyouts as many have …

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Hurricane Sandy

Guide to Making the Call on Elevating Your Property

A post-Sandy Q&A session helped answer some (but not all) questions about what will be required of shore property owners.

Recent public forums have helped answer questions about repairing and rebuilding after Superstorm Sandy. The question-and-answer sessions typically feature local residents, Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) representatives and representatives of the local insurance and real estate industries. Even the panelists usually acknowledged a fair amount of uncertainty about the full ramifications of the unprecedented level of damage for the region and the process for rebuilding and recovering costs. Here's our best shot at summarizing the considerations for property owners as they rebuild after the Oct. 29 storm. But because of the considerable amount of confusion surrounding the whole process, feel free to share information, questions …

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Christie To Make Announcement On Flood Map Regulations

Governor will hold press conference in Seaside Heights Thursday to address concerns

Gov. Chris Christie will make what some believe is a "major announcement" on hurricane flood map regulations Thursday. Christie will appear at 3 p.m. at the Seaside Heights Fire Department at the Main Fire Bay at 116 Sherman Avenue in Seaside Heights. Christie chose a town that has seen the worst of the wind and flooding damage as a result of the October superstorm. But the new flooding map designs have become the biggest source of contention for long-term homeowners who are fearing that they'll either have to put their houses on stilts, or move out entirely. For instance, the Point Pleasant Boro mayor, council and Sandy-flooded residents are objecting to sections of a FEMA advisory map that puts them in a "V Zone" that calls for more  …

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