BY MAURO V. "BUZZ" BALDANZA
As the emergency management coordinator in Oceanport, New Jersey, I have been watching as the landscapes of our community and those of our neighboring towns have been changing since Superstorm Sandy struck in 2012. Of the 2,390 housing units within our 3.2 square miles along the Shrewsbury River, about 900 homes were affected by Sandy's flood waters. One hundred twenty of these homes were substantially damaged, 47 are in the process of being lifted or have been lifted, and more applications for lifting homes have been filed. Ten homes were demolished to make way for new homes, and more demolition permits have been filed.
House lifters have been working in the community since November 2012 lifting homes to meet new elevation requirements. Construction officials declare a house substantially damaged when the damage exceeds more than 50 percent of the structure's monetary value. Most towns have ordinances, typically under the title of "Flood Damage Prevention," that mandate that homes in this category be brought up to new standards, including a new elevation level to prevent future flooding. Towns have had to increase home height standards to accommodate the required lifting. Now, a simple ranch may have been elevated a specified number of feet above the base flood elevation (BFE) and sits on a new foundation. For Oceanport homes, the requirement is two feet above a BFE of eight, nine, or 10 feet, depending on the house's location within the Special Flood Hazard Area designated on the Flood Insurance Rate Map (FIRM or D-FIRM for digital). The same holds true for two-story homes.
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