A plan to radically change the flood risk maps along the Jersey Shore is not sitting well with some folks who find themselves in the proposed zones.

The borough of Manasquan would be one of those municipalities impacted, adding hundreds of homes and businesses into the new projections.

“In the middle of the night, the water was covering the road here and then it started to subside,” said Rich Cooke, who lives on Farragut Avenue in Manasquan.

Cooke lived through Superstorm Sandy, a benchmark storm for the Jersey Shore. Since then, floods have been a normal way of life for many here. The New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection issued proposed revised maps, part of a program known as Protection Against Climate Threats, taking into account sea level rise for the entire Jersey Shore.

“If that time comes when we have the second Sandy or Sandy plus, they’ll probably be happy they’re raising their houses,” said Cooke.

“We’re going to see some towns that have 50% more flood coverage than they had previously and that means a lot more homes that need to comply,” said Assemblyman Paul Kanitra, whose district covers Spring Lake to Seaside Park.

Kanitra, now in the middle of raising his own home, says if these revisions go into effect, it will mean adding another five feet of elevation on top of the 13 feet already under construction.

“It’s all based on a very flawed 2019 study. Every study since that one has shown it’s flawed. The study itself showed that there was only a 17% chance of fruition,” said Kanitra.

According to that Rutgers study, the most likely scenario would see a sea level rise of between one and four feet by the year 2100.

With the way the flood maps are drawn as of now, the westward extent of the zone in Manasquan ends at Farragut Avenue. Under the proposed revisions the zone would move about a third of a mile west, west of the railroad tracks to Pearce Avenue, in the heart of the downtown.

“When did this materialize? How did this materialize,” asked Mike Smith, owner of the Paramount Diner – which would be included in the proposed flood risk zone.

“Let's not just regulate for the sake of regulating,” he said.

The DEP is still taking comments on the proposed changes now through Nov. 3.

You can find more information about the proposed changes and a link to the comment section for the Department of Environmental Protection below:

https://dep.nj.gov/njpact/