New Jersey Beach Town Gains State’s Highest Flood Management Rating

The community of Sea Isle City, New Jersey is implementing an ambitious flood management plan after decades of being known as a town with a “dismal” flood protection reputation.

As Ysabelle Kempe reports in Smart Cities Dive, “Over the last three decades, Sea Isle City has achieved the highest rank of any New Jersey city in FEMA’s Community Rating System, a voluntary incentive-based program designed to encourage strong floodplain management.”

The rating means local homeowners are not at risk of losing their insurance or seeing skyrocketing rates — at least for now. “Only one other New Jersey community, Avalon, has accomplished the same status since, and no Class 1 or 2 communities exist in New Jersey.”

To ensure better flood mitigation, the city updated its zoning code to require that new buildings be elevated and invested in berms and bulkheads to protect the town. Future projects could include flood pumps, which can move large amounts of water during tidal flooding.