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Aug. 8-14
NOAA
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) had months ago predicted an above average hurricane season. Even though the season has been quiet so far, NOAA has doubled down on its earlier prediction. NOAA’s mid-season update, issued August 4, calls for vigilance as its experts still say there is a 60% chance of an above-normal hurricane season in 2022.
So far there have been 3 named storms and no hurricanes in the Atlantic Basin. In a normal year, the six-month hurricane season would produce 14 named storms, 7 of which would be hurricanes with 3 of those major hurricanes. FEMA Director Deanne Criswell warned that “the next Ida or Sandy could still be lying in wait.”
Meanwhile NOAA issued a high tide flooding report. It predicts a 150% increase in high tide flooding of communities in the eastern United States. This is not the case for all areas specifically mentioned in the report. For Cape May, the report lists 10 high tide flood days in 2021 and predicts up to 11 in 2022. For 2050 it projects 65 to 100 days of high tide flooding. NOAA even provided a sea level rise viewer for visual demonstration of inundation at various levels of sea level rise along the county’s coastline.
NOAA’s Office of Coastal Management provides a “fast fact” website on high tide flooding.
Beach Replenishment
Federally sponsored beach replenishment projects are essential to many of the county’s engineered beaches. The main federal interest in these projects is the safety of property and the public along the vulnerable coastline. The added benefit is sand on the beach which is a must for the county’s ever expanding tourist economy.
Not all county municipalities have benefited equally from the federal hydraulic replenishments and at least one, North Wildwood, is exploring ways to legally require more attention from the Army Corps of Engineers.
Many county beach towns have engaged in an expensive practice of back passing to maintain eroded beach areas in the years between federal replenishments. That practice involves moving sand from one area of the coastline to another via heavy equipment transport along the beach front. It is expensive and often the nourished beach begins to lose sand almost immediately.
To make matters worse, a U. S. Fish and Wildlife ban on the use of Hereford Inlet sand is making the hydraulic replenishments more expensive. One community, Stone Harbor, has hired a coastal engineering firm to develop a plan for potential changes to the coastline configuration that might slow the erosion of sand from the beaches.
Juvenile Misbehavior
For yet another summer, crowds of juveniles have caused problems for homeowners and visitors to the county’s oceanside resorts. Emboldened by new state directives on how police may interact with juvenile offenders, the crowd of young people have caused damage to public and private property, forced restrictions on boardwalk and beach use and openly flaunted their ability to break laws regarding underage use of marijuana and alcohol.
Avalon police have reported disbursing 230 crowds of juveniles and have established a special unit to handle juvenile issues. Sea Isle City’s mayor Leonard Desiderio has promised a crackdown on juvenile disturbances citing police engaged in 4,000 “juvenile contacts” in just a two week period.
All along the coast, local officials lay the blame for this increasing problem at the feet of state officials and lawmakers. Complaints about the handcuffing of police in their reaction to juvenile misconduct have not led to any action from Trenton.
Happenings
Department of Environmental Protection Commissioner Shawn LaTourette says the state is “not ready” for the impact of climate change. Despite new land use regulations and an aggressive push for wind energy infrastructure, LaTourette told state lawmakers that the state must become more resilient.
Tax rates can be flat and still produce higher tax levies for some community property owners. The culprit is the manner in which the county allocates its levy. A complex methodology allocates greater or lesser shares of the county levy to communities based on relative standing with respect to real estate sales in the previous year.
New Jersey Senator Cory Booker paid a visit to the new Harriet Tubman Museum in Cape May City. Meanwhile, the Mullock family that had led the effort on the Tubman Museum is now engaged in repurposing the St. Mary by-the-Sea Retreat House in Cape May Point as a science center dedicated to education and research of the unique environment and eco-systems that defines the area.
Cape Regional Health System has received an infusion of federal funds for the purchase of COVID and radiology equipment.
The state has entered a draught watch condition with officials appealing to the public to conserve water. This is the first such designation since 2016.
Avalon saw a packed house at a recent meeting of its Planning and Zoning Board which approved an amendment to the borough’s Master Plan that would allow a boutique hotel overlay in the business district. Most of the public who spoke at the meeting opposed the amendment which was adopted by an affirmative vote of only six members of the thirteen-member board. There were three no votes, three absent members and one abstention.
A review of the county budget shows that the practice of allowing employees to bank unused leave for eventual payout at a later date is alive and well in Cape May County government. The liability for hours banked at the county is $7.1 million.
Sea Isle City has received a refund of its payment for Independence Day fireworks which were cut short due to a fire on the barge used by the contractor.
Actress Anne Heche, who had Cape May County ties, died this week following a tragic vehicle crash.
A free little art gallery has popped up in Town Bank. The 20-by-12-inch gallery contains several small art pieces and operates on the take one or leave one model of curbside libraries.
Spout Off of the Week
Wildwood – I believe that it’s time for our national educational system to get back to basics. Teachers at the elementary and higher education level should not be pushing liberal and conservative agendas on the youth of America. Teach the children what is needed to make it in life. The rest of the foolishness can be learned on their own like people have been doing for centuries.
Read more spouts at spoutoff.capemaycountyherald.com.
