A report by the Union of Concerned Scientists states that within the next 30 years, East Coast communities will see dramatic changes in the number and severity of tidal floods each year, unless serious steps are taken to successfully manage those flood waters.
The report made several recommendations on how towns should address the threat of tidal flooding, including upgrading infrastructure and developing a long-term vision. The report also called for a coordinated national response that will provide incentives, regulate and mandate action.
New Jersey is already addressing this issue. Sandy has taught us that successful mitigation projects must include the bays and rivers that overflow their boundaries and flood bordering communities. In addition to the Atlantic coast, new restoration projects will focus on the Delaware Bay coast, Raritan Bay, Sandy Hook Bay, and tidal swatches of the South River and the Passaic River.