Category Archives: Site News

HURRIPLAN Course on Resilient Building Design for Coastal Communities Offered in New Jersey

HURRIPLAN is a newly developed approach for hurricane resilient community planning and building design. The FEMA-certified HURRIPLAN course will be offered in Tuckerton and Hoboken, New Jersey, in January 2015. The 2-day HURRIPLAN performance-level course provides the knowledge and training necessary to design hurricane resilient commercial and institutional buildings. The course is targeted to a broad cross section of professionals involved in emergency management, planners, building and zoning officials, mitigation specialists, developers, engineers, land owners, architects, building managers and owners.

Through lectures and active learning components, existing regulations and beyond-code design guidelines are discussed and implemented. The culmination of the course includes the creation of a site plan and building design of a community safe room in a nearby hurricane-prone community.

Course modules include:
  • Introduction to Hurricane Science
  • Design Strategies Against Wind, Water and Debris
  • Infrastructure Failure
  • Current and Suggested Zoning and Building Codes
  • FEMA Guidelines, Best Practices and Lessons Learned
The course is approved for AIA/CES programs. AIA members in good standing are eligible to earn 14 HSW units.

Locations and Details

9 a.m.–5 p.m.
Jacques Cousteau National Estuarine Research Reserve
130 Great Bay Blvd
Tuckerton, NJ 08087
Hosted by the Barnegat Bay Partnership

For registration assistance contact Karen Walzer at kwalzer@ocean.edu or 732-914-8110.

9 a.m.–5 p.m. Steven’s Institute of Technology
Lecture Room
1 Castle Point Terrace
Hoboken, NJ 07030
Hosted by the New Jersey Sea Grant Consortium

For registration assistance contact Lisa Aromando at laromando@njseagrant.org or 732-872-1300 ext. 10.

Registration

Register and pre-test online at https://ndptc.hawaii.edu/training.

Now Available: Preliminary Flood Insurance Rate Maps for the Atlantic Coast of Burlington County

Preliminary Flood Insurance Rate Maps (FIRMs) for the Atlantic Coast of Burlington County, NJ are now available.  You can look up the flood zone and Base Flood Elevation (BFE) from the maps for a specific property using the What is My BFE? address lookup tool.

This information is also available through FEMA’s Map Service Center, the official source for preliminary and effective regulatory FIRMs. Online tutorials are available from FEMA which provide assistance in using both the FIRM and FIS Report. Additional information is also available through the Preliminary FIRM FAQ.

Hudson County Public Open House Scheduled for December 3rd

FEMA and its partners will present the preliminary Flood Insurance Rate Map (FIRM) and data for Hudson County, show the differences between the new and the effective FIRM, and provide an overview of the appeals and map adoption processes at a public open house on December 3rd from 4 to 8 pm. Attendees will also be able to locate their properties on the preliminary  FIRMs and learn about their flood risk, get answers to questions from county and FEMA representatives, and learn about flood insurance options from insurance specialists. The open house will be held at Franklin L. Williams School (MS 7), 222 Laidlaw Avenue, Jersey City, NJ 07306.

Cape May County Public Open House Scheduled for December 12th

FEMA and its partners will present the preliminary Flood Insurance Rate Map (FIRM) and data for Cape May County, show the differences between the new and the effective FIRM, and provide an overview of the appeals and map adoption processes at a public open house on December 12th from 4 to 8 pm. Attendees will also be able to locate their properties on the preliminary  FIRMs and learn about their flood risk, get answers to questions from county and FEMA representatives, and learn about flood insurance options from insurance specialists. The open house will be held at the Cape May Convention Center, 714 Beach Avenue, Cape May, NJ 08204.

Region II Coastal Storm Surge Study Data

In an effort to share coastal flood study data and to keep communities informed throughout the study process, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has produced a report titled Region II Coastal Storm Surge Study and eight topic-specific technical documents to summarize the new storm surge modeling carried out to support updates to the Flood Insurance Rate Maps (FIRMs) for New Jersey and New York coastal communities. The eight topic-specific technical documents provide details on the development, execution, and validation of the coastal storm surge modeling for coastal scientists, community officials, and others seeking in-depth technical information. The fact sheet Region II Coastal Flood Study Data Sharing provides an overview of the Coastal Storm Surge Study technical documentation, storm surge, and storm surge modeling.
 
Also available are a series of storm surge study reports prepared by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers prepared for a coastal flood study affecting communities within FEMA Region III. This study also affect several counties in New Jersey, including Salem, Gloucester, and Camden.
 
All technical reports can be accessed through the Community Officials information page.

Flood Forecast and Warning Tools Focus Group in Monmouth & Ocean Counties

Monmouth and Ocean County Residents: 
Have you experienced coastal flooding? Do you rely on flood warnings and alerts to know when to prepare? Do you wish you had more information about your flood risk?

Nurture Nature Center, a non-profit organization focusing on flood education, is recruiting participants for two focus groups scheduled for Monday, November 3rd at the Brick Township Library, as part of a research project with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, about the use of National Weather Service flood forecast and warning tools.

Participants should live in Monmouth or Ocean Counties and be at least 18 years of age. Participants will be asked to answer questions and provide input about various flood warning tools and products issued by the National Weather Service. Each participant will receive $30 for their time. Coffee and light refreshments will be provided.

Register online at socialscience.focusonfloods.org or call 610-253-4432.

Please indicate which session you would like to attend when you register:

Session #1: 1:00 pm to 3:00 pm
Session #2: 6:00 pm to 8:00 pm




Now Available: Preliminary Flood Insurance Rate Maps for Camden and Gloucester Counties

Preliminary Flood Insurance Rate Maps (FIRMs) for Camden and Gloucester Counties, NJ are now available.  You can look up the flood zone and Base Flood Elevation (BFE) from the maps for a specific property using the What is My BFE? address lookup tool.

This information is also available through FEMA’s Map Service Center, the official source for preliminary and effective regulatory FIRMs. Online tutorials are available from FEMA which provide assistance in using both the FIRM and FIS Report.   Additional information is also available through the Preliminary FIRM FAQ.

Beach Nourishment and Dune Construction Fact Sheet Available from FEMA

For purposes of flood hazard mapping, FEMA considers the effects of nourished beaches and constructed dunes only when certain criteria are met. FEMA's fact sheet about beach nourishment and dune construction  provides important information about how these activities affect coastal flood hazards and FEMA's coastal flood studies and how FEMA evaluates these projects during a study. 

Now Available: Preliminary Flood Insurance Rate Maps for Bergen County

Preliminary Flood Insurance Rate Maps (FIRMs) for Bergen County, NJ are now available.  You can look up the flood zone and Base Flood Elevation (BFE) from the maps for a specific property using the What is My BFE? address lookup tool.
This information is also available through FEMA’s Map Service Center, the official source for preliminary and effective regulatory FIRMs. Online tutorials are available from FEMA which provide assistance in using both the FIRM and FIS Report.   Additional information is also available through the Preliminary FIRM FAQ.