Hazlet welcomes information from FEMA
by ALYSSA PASSEGGIO, Senior Staff Writer, The Courier, May 8
Posted:05/09/08

While Bayshore representatives from Congress, the state Assembly and governing bodies are focusing on how to stop or delay new flood maps, the Hazlet Environmental Commission is taking a different approach.

The commission was tasked with informing the public about the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s (FEMA) updated flood plain maps by the Township Committee.

Environmental Commissioner Rosemarie Mazza said the attempts at delaying the maps’ adoption, but noted that people should not ignore the problem.

“We have to act like [a flood] could happen tomorrow. People have to know what to do in case [the updated maps] are not stopped,” Mazza said.

About 640 homes in the township, mostly in the West Keansburg area, are affected by the change, according to township officials.

The group scheduled an information meeting with a FEMA representative for Tuesday, May 20 at 8 p.m. at Town Hall. Councilman Joseph Belasco noted the importance of having FEMA answer questions for residents and officials.

The volunteers also plan to canvass the West Keansburg area of the township to inform residents of the situation.

“What if FEMA is right? That is something you can’t lose sight of. If these people have no insurance and it floods, who is going to rebuild their house?” Environmental Vice Chairman Joe Pobega said.

According to the commission, the flood zones expanded due to the deterioration of man-made levees and sand berms from the 1970s that provided protection from the Raritan Bay.

Pobega recalled a 1992 storm that caused flooding in the Bayshore area and explained that it was considered a 40-year storm. “Multiply the effects of 1992 two and half times and you have what could happen,” he explained.

Insurance

Any resident in the new zone with a federally protected mortgage would be required to purchase flood hazard insurance, Pobega explained.

However, if the insurance is purchased before the new maps are approved the owner is eligible to maintain the rate from the prior zone, according a FEMA flyer.

If insurance is not purchased before the maps are adopted, but the building predates the update, the owner could receive the pre-map subsidized rates, according to FEMA officials.

For more information about the rates, visit FEMA’s Web site at: www.fema.gov/nfip/manual.shtm.

How towns can help

Pobega noted that the township could help residents save money on flood insurance by actively participating in the National Flood Insurance Program’s (NFIP) Community Rating System.

Flood insurance premium rates could be discounted for communities that promote the awareness of flood insurance, according to FEMA documentation.

A community that does not maintain the minimum number of credit points would be considered a Class 10, Pobega said. Each drop in class would entitle residents to a 5 percent discount on premiums, according to FEMA documents.

Hazlet would be eligible for credit by performing designated activities under the four categories: public information, flood damage reduction, flood preparation, and mapping and regulations.

Pobega suggested that the group’s trip to West Keansburg or the town meeting might count toward credit, since they are informing the public.

The town would have to continue performing credible actions yearly to maintain the discounts, according to FEMA.

The commission agreed to look into ways to attain credits. For more information about the community rating system, visit its Web site at: www.fema.gov/business/nfip/crs.shtm.
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