Coastal Coalition Announces Multi-city Flood Information System

LONGPORT – On May 2, the New Jersey Coastal Coalition announced an initiative to share flood awareness information and to help residents receive a reduction on their flood insurance premiums.
The Federal Emergency Management Agency has accepted the coalition’s application to establish a Multi-Jurisdictional Program for Public Information to be used in the Community Rating System for member municipalities. The coalition held a press conference May 2 at Borough Hall to announce the acceptance.
“The coalition has worked for more than five years to inform the public of flood awareness,” said Longport Mayor Nick Russo. “All of us work together in the coalition on the No. 1 obligation of government – public safety, especially in emergency weather events.”
This initiative, believed to be the largest of its kind in the United States, will help participating cities broadcast the message of flood awareness. By doing so, individual residents who have flood insurance could see a direct reduction in their premiums on a yearly basis. The MJPPI is funded by the John C. Allen Charitable Trust.
“We believe that with 11 active communities, and more to join in the immediate future, that this is the largest MJPPI in the United States,” said Chris Huch the MJPPI systems administrator. “The MJPPI will save taxpayer dollars by providing outreach not commonly available to individual communities.”
Through the Community Rating System, the savings for taxpayers with flood insurance totaled $679,000 in Egg Harbor Township, $1.2 million in Avalon Borough, $1.7 million in Margate, $1.8 million in Sea Isle City and $3.6 million in Ocean City, among just some of the members of the coalition.
“The impact of making people aware of coastal flooding cannot be underestimated,” said meteorologist Dan Skeldon. “Nothing is more important than the safety of our residents in flooding events.”
The New Jersey Coastal Coalition is a 501c3 charitable trust organization incorporated in the State of New Jersey and has worked since 2013 on flood mitigation and the challenges faced by Jersey Shore communities on tidal, rainwater and coastal flooding.
“The coalition is a working think tank that assists municipalities on flood awareness. No taxpayer dollars are used by the NJ Coastal Coalition. Our services are free of charge,” said former Cape May Mayor Dr. Edward J. Mahaney, Jr. the coalition’s strategic planner. “The coalition works on specific projects with the goal of making New Jersey the most resilient state in the country.”