Township Council To Introduce Amended Flood Elevation Ordinance Tuesday Night

The Federal Emergency Management Agency was originally slated to release new flood elevation maps for New Jersey and New York coastal regions b the middle of next year.

But that was before Hurricane Sandy decimated towns in both states and changed the the face of the coastline forever.

FEMA will release the new advisory base flood elevations this week. And the Township Council is poised to introduce an ordinance Tuesday night to amend the Township Code's existing definition of "design flood elevation."

The ordinance could have far-reaching effects of what storm-ravaged areas of the township can be rebuilt and how high homes would have to be raised.

Fourteen counties in New Jersey - including Ocean and Monmouth - will be impacted by the advisories. The new maps will be "potentially more expansive than current flood maps," according to FEMA's website.

The maps will also show the high water maps from Hurricane Sandy.

"FEMA believes it is vital to provide near-term advisory base flood elevations (ABFEs) to support reconstruction efforts," the agency's website states

The current Flood Insurance Rate Maps (FIRMs) were developed more than 25 years ago. The new advisories will be based on updated coastal flood analyses and data compared to coastal elevations show on the current FIRMs, according to FEMA.

"...FEMA believes it vital to provide near-term Advisory Base Flood Elevations (ABFEs) to support rebuilding efforts, according to the FEMA's Region II Coastal Analysis and Mapping website at www.Region2Coastal.com.

Visit the website for comprehensive information on the availability of ABFEs, how they can be used, and to view and download data once available. Additional information is also available through the ABFE Frequently Asked Questions page. 

Come back to Berkeley Patch after Tuesday's Township Council meeting for more information on how this will affect our town.