New FEMA Flood Maps Could Be As Devastating As Superstorm Sandy, Township Officials Say

Berkeley officials will travel to Trenton on Wednesday, to protest the new FEMA advisory base flood elevations Township Council President James J. Byrnes describes as "nuts."

"This is just crazy," Byrnes said at the Feb. 11 Township Council meeting. "You get a little water in your house, all of a sudden you're in a V zone."

Berkeley officials have yet to approve the suggested elevations -introduced by FEMA in December after Superstorm Sandy and mandated by Gov. Chris Christie two weeks ago.

"We have over 4,000 waterfront homeowners," Mayor Carmen F. Amato Jr. said. "Over 40 percent will be affected one way or another. We don't agree with them. We don't want to have lagoon homes in Bayville that would be in the same flood zone as the Outer Banks. It just doesn't make sense."

Amato, Byrnes and township professionals will meet Wednesday with FEMA and state officials in Trenton to protest the advisory base flood elevations, also known as ABFEs.

Amato and Byrnes are particularly concerned about homeowners whose houses were not more than 50 percent damaged by Sandy, which makes them ineligible for Increased Cost of Compensation funds to elevate their homes.

Amato said he fields "dozens" of calls from residents every day.

"They don't know what to do," he said. "The problem we have are homeowners who don't have the 50 percent damage. They don't have the means to raise their homes or pay $30,000. They say, 'I'm going to have to walk away.' That's not a good situation."

The ICC funds are only for homeowners with more than 50 percent damage, who could receive up to $30,000 to elevate their homes.

Meanwhile, the township will lose revenue in lost ratables and late payments on taxes.

"We gotta get these homes back on the tax rolls," Byrnes said. "This is crazy. I think people are waiting for the FEMA god to drop money into their houses. It's not going to happen."

Township Councilman John Bacchione lives in a bi-level lagoon home in Bayville. His house made it through Sandy with minimal damage.

"With the proposed flood maps, I'm going to have to raise my house," Bacchione said. "If I don't, my flood insurance will be $32,000 a year."

The Glen Cove, Good Luck Point, South Seaside Park and Toms River Shores sections of the township were hit hard by Sandy, which roared into Ocean County on Oct. 29.

Byrnes - who lost his Dogwood Drive home in the storm - described a recent night on a lonely street in Glen Cove.

"There's one light on," he said. "I don't know what people are going to do. This is nuts. I'm going to Trenton on Wednesday."

"We don't think these maps accurately describe the risk," Amato said. "There was no rhyme or reason, the way they came up with these maps."