Flooding Worsens in Sea Isle City; Plan Calls for Closer County Link

SEA ISLE CITY – Municipal Engineer Andrew Previti gave city council, at its Nov. 13 meeting, a summary of findings from the recent flood plan master plan undertaken by the city.
“There is no doubt flooding, especially from the bayside, has become significantly more prevalent in just the last few years, ” he said.
“Areas where there never used to be flooding, there is now. Those areas that used to see occasional or moderate flooding now are seeing significant flooding,” said Previti in opening remarks.
Previti explained that Sea Isle City’s Planning Board in its 2017 Master Plan Re-examination Report recommended that the city work with federal and state governments to address bay flooding solutions.
The board also recommended that the city implement a comprehensive flood control plan in partnership with the county to address flooding concerns.
As Previti noted, “Close partnership with the county is essential since JFK Boulevard and all of Landis Avenue, which are areas that experience significant and frequent flooding, are under county jurisdiction.”
During public comment, a resident asked why the city is only now beginning to reach out to the county on flooding problems. Previti and Council President Jack Gibson both explained that the city has maintained close working relationships with the county, state and federal authorities to mitigate flooding. Now, after the report’s findings, the city will begin exploring specific methods, means, and funding to mitigate with formalized agreements.
The flood control plan whose conclusions Previti highlighted resulted from a decision by city administration to authorize Maser Consulting of Egg Harbor Township to prepare the flood mitigation study following the recommendations of the planning board. 
The scope of the report included three phases.
First phase, mapping, prepared several types of maps including a map of the city to identify all stormwater structures including outfalls.
A topographic map overlay to the storm structures map based on information received from the county was also prepared.
Cape May County and a drainage area map overlay which identifies drainage basins in the city was also part of the study.
Second phase, evaluation, focused on considering the topographic information and drainage basins within the city related to actual flood mitigation.
The study identifies agencies responsible for maintaining specific stormwater systems including outfall.
“One of the important goals of the study was to pinpoint identification of drainage areas which exhibit recurring flooding issues and hone in on specific causes of area flooding as well as possible solutions to flooding problems,” said Previti.
Third and final phase was the preparation of findings which included how to integrate local problem areas and possible solutions into regional plans and subsequent possible plans of action.
The study was the first step in identifying specific problem areas and should be considered a planning tool. Previti stressed that the city would use this study in addition to developing a partnership with the county to integrate itself with the New Jersey Back Bays (NJBB) Flood Risk Management Study being undertaken by the Army Corps of Engineers and the state Department of Environmental Protection.
According to Previti, Sea Isle City has already implemented many of the management measures that the study enumerates and will continue to do so.
Those measures include in problem areas low-profile groins, bulkheads, check valves, and beach and dune restoration. Previti noted, “This work has been ongoing for over 50 years with the help of the NJDEP, and has been recently taken over by the Army Corps of Engineers when the city became part of the federal program.”
Non-structural remedies also ongoing include early warning alert systems and education and training programs.
During public comment, a resident since the 1970s read from a letter he had kept from 1995 from the city in response to flooding problems he had pointed out to the mayor and municipal engineer.
“These issues are the same as what we are talking about right now. Everything has more urgency now because the flooding is getting more frequent and more serious and really is a public safety issue,” he said.
To contact Camille Sailer, email csailer@cmcherald.com.