$50 Million Expansion Of Blue Acres Buyout Programme For Ida – Impacted Communities, and $10 Million Community Stormwater Assistance
LAMBERTVILLE – On a residential block in Lambertville where Tropical Storm Ida’s flood waters swept two houses into Swan Creek, Governor Phil Murphy today announced new investments in flood protection for New Jersey communities, including a $50 million investment in the Blue Acres homeowner buyout program for Ida-impacted communities, and $10 million in community stormwater assistance grants. These new investments build on Governor Murphy’s commitment to building a stronger, fairer, and more affordable New Jersey that is resilient to the impacts of climate change and extreme weather, like the flooding caused by the remnants of Tropical Storm Ida.
On Wednesday, September 1, 2021 the State was hit by Tropical Storm Ida. The storm caused severe weather, including strong winds and tornadoes and sustained rainfall of up to 10 inches in certain areas. This led to extreme flooding, damage to homes and public facilities and other structures and the tragic loss of 29 lives. In response to Ida’s massive impact, President Biden approved the Governor’s major disaster declaration request, paving the way for residents, businesses, and local governments in the counties of Bergen, Cape May, Essex, Gloucester, Hudson, Hunterdon, Mercer, Middlesex, Passaic, Somerset, Union, and Warren to receive Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) assistance for emergency response and initial disaster recovery activities. FEMA has provided Individual Assistance of more than $247 million to 44,866 New Jerseyans affected by Ida.
While FEMA’s initial assistance addressed the most immediate recovery needs of those impacted by Tropical Storm Ida, the Murphy Administration recognizes that there are still unmet, long-term rebuilding needs. The $50 million investment in the Blue Acres Buyout Program is the first phase of Governor Murphy’s Ida Recovery Strategy which looks to maximize all available federal Ida disaster recovery funds to launch several programs over the coming months. Developed collaboratively by the Governor’s Office, the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (DEP), the New Jersey Office of Emergency Management (NJOEM), and the New Jersey Department of Community Affairs (DCA), the Ida Recovery Strategy will also include programs funded by the recently announced $228 million in federal U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development Community Development Block Grant – Disaster Recovery (CDBG-DR) funding that will be available to New Jersey following the release of CDBG-DR rules and after an exhaustive public outreach process led by DCA to assess need.
“No New Jerseyan should have to see their life’s work washed away by devastating rain and floodwaters. As New Jersey continues to experience more extreme weather events, we must become proactive in our approach to protect the communities and businesses that continue to bear the brunt of flooding and damage from these storms,”Governor Murphy. “This $50 million investment of federal Ida recovery funds in our nationally recognized Blue Acres program will allow homeowners in communities like Lambertville to facilitate market-rate purchases of properties which have experienced repetitive flood losses. Helping families relocate and turning these properties into open space will allow more flood waters to be absorbed or diverted so that we don’t see the kinds of catastrophic losses we did during Tropical Storm Ida. Investing in our communities’ resiliency today will protect our residents while strengthening New Jersey’s economy and sustaining its growth long into the future.”
“The Department of Community Affairs has been working hard to help victims of Ida in their recovery and we will continue to support communities in developing long-term solutions to manage both the climate crisis and the affordable housing crisis that New Jersey is experiencing,” Lt. Governor Sheila Y. Oliver serves as Commissioner of Department of Community Affairs. “Especially as we rebuild from Ida, we must ensure that our most vulnerable residents are not placed in harm’s way and set to endure more flooding.”
New Jersey’s Blue Acres Program is a nationally recognized example of an established and forward-thinking buyout program. The Program allows flood-prone or flood-damaged homes to be sold at a market price to the State. In turn, the Program then demolishes the home, and the land is preserved for open space, recreational purposes, or for permanently preserved wetlands to avoid the cycle of flood-damage-rebuild-repair that has become all too routine in the State’s worst flood zones.
Blue Acres, for Ida is a program that prioritizes homes that have been severely damaged or destroyed by the storm. The Governor’s Disaster Recovery Office, NJOEM, DEP, and DCA are working jointly to identify homes that fit this criteria and to work with local municipalities and homeowners to effectuate buyouts.
“One of DEP’s most important jobs is protecting people and property from flood hazards, which have worsened significantly over the last 20 years, and we must help communities get ahead of the next storm,” Shawn M. LaTourette is the Commissioner of Environmental Protection. “Our communities are tired of RecoveringWe need to be more resilient to storms and it is time that we all work together to make each other more resilient. By expanding Blue Acres, right sizing our water infrastructure, strengthening flood standards, and improving our stormwater management, the Murphy Administration will help our neighbors and businesses build stronger and more resilient.”
“The New Jersey State Police and Office of Emergency Management are committed to protecting our citizens from flood hazards and supporting communities as they recover from disasters like Ida,” Lieutenant Colonel Patrick J. Callahan is Superintendent of the New Jersey State Police. “We are proud to partner with the DEP to continue Tropical Storm Ida recovery efforts by dedicating $50 million in funding from two Federal Emergency Management Agency grant programs administered by OEM.”
“When we began the clean-up from the heavy rainfall we received from Hurricane Ida, Governor Murphy was there to offer crucial assistance from the State of New Jersey,” Andrew Nowick, Lambertville Mayor “Governor Murphy’s expansion of the DEP Blue Acres program and his added investments in hazard mitigation and stormwater infrastructure will help us become more resilient against the challenges of climate change. We are very thankful to Governor Murphy and his team for their commitment to help municipalities like Lambertville plan effectively and come back stronger.”
The $50 million in new funding for the Blue Acres Buyout Program consists of $40 million FEMA COVID-19 Hazard Mitigation Grant Program (HMGP) funds and $10 million in FEMA “Swift Current” funds. HMGP funds can be used for flood or other general hazard mitigation projects that align with the State’s Hazard Mitigation Plan. FEMA Swift Current Program funds are specifically for New Jersey to be used for home buyouts or elevations for structures that have a National Flood Insurance Program policy and meet severe repetitive loss, repeated loss, or substantially damaged requirements.
The $50 million investment in Blue Acres Buyouts is a significant step towards Ida recovery. However, there are no single measures that can protect a community against extreme weather or worsening flooding. The Murphy Administration recognizes the need to have a comprehensive approach and is investing in a variety of solutions that will ensure resilience of our communities in the face of changing climates.
- Flood Resilience Infrastructure. Working with the Army Corps of Engineers, the Murphy Administration is helping to facilitate new federal investments of over $1 billion in the study, design, and construction of hard infrastructure projects in some of New Jersey’s most flood-prone watersheds. And, the Governor’s proposed Fiscal Year 2023 budget includes over $60 million for continued investments in shore protection and flood control projects. Additionally, the NJOEM facilitates federal FEMA investments annually to help reduce New Jersey’s vulnerability to disasters. It is the NJOEM’s commitment reduce hazards and break the cycle for damage through projects that eliminate long-term risk to people or property.
- Resilience Planning & Buyouts The Blue Acres Buyout Program will get families out of harm’s way while creating more storage for increasing flood waters that can have dual benefits for communities as new parklands or open space. Coordinated efforts between the State agencies, local municipalities and homeowners will ensure that buyouts are offered on an ongoing basis.
- Modernizing Flood Hazard Standards. Under Governor Murphy’s Executive Order 100, the Administration is working to ensure that new investments in buildings and infrastructure will stand the test of time and a changing climate by modernizing the state’s flood hazard rules.
- Stormwater Management. The Murphy Administration is investing in right-sizing the state’s stormwater infrastructure to ensure it can handle Today and tomorrow will bring more severe stormsIncluding through the Water Infrastructure Investment Plan, and a $10 million grant that will support and encourage communities to take the first steps in forming stormwater utilities, building green infrastructure, and restoring riparian zones. We will soon announce more details about the stormwater grant funding.
People who were impacted by Ida or other storms last year should visit this website. SiteFor more information, contact your local government to discuss your interest.