WILDWOOD CREST – Borough officials are working to mitigate flooding along Washington Avenue after residents complained about recurring flooding on the street.
Mayor Don Cabrera said the issue is the piping can’t handle the volume of water that comes during high tide and heavy rain. One of the borough’s six outfall lines is located at Washington Avenue. Cabrera said the pipes are structurally sound, but not big enough.
In the immediate future, the borough said it will try to keep traffic off streets when there is flooding, when passing cars create wakes, moving water and damaging properties. They are investing in some new flashing signs and other flood notices.
“We have to recognize that we live on an island, and there is going to be nuisance flooding at times. The question is what can we do to help minimize that nuisance flooding and work toward a long-term goal,” Cabrera said.
Cabrera, along with Engineer Marc DeBlasio and Administrator Constance Mahon, sat down with residents and explained the process. At a public meeting Sept. 23, DeBlasio said he contacted the borough’s grant writer about two potential Federal Emergency Management Agency grants, with deadlines in November.
The borough said the grants could be used to widen the existing piping, which relies on gravity, or install a pump station that would consolidate the six outfall lines to one and pump the floodwater out.
