Sandy-Flooded Inland Towns in N.J. See No Solutions

Images of New Jersey’s devastated shoreline captivated the nation in the days after Superstorm Sandy.

Less noticed was the enormous damage caused inland when earthen barriers along or near the Hackensack River were breached, sending a tidal surge washing over parts of several towns.

Now attention is turning to what can be done to prevent similar river flooding in future storms, and townspeople and officials don’t like what they are hearing.

The Associated Press found little consensus among agencies about who is responsible for the barriers and whether they were even meant to provide flood protection. No comprehensive record exists of who put them up and for what purpose.

What’s more, the state Department of Environmental Protection says it isn’t responsible for regulating them.

 

Latest Comments

• January 3, 2013 at 3:01 pm

  jerseygirl says:

  When we had hurricane Floyd, several towns that were in 100 year flood area became lakes. No one was insured, many were wiped out. But they did rebuild. and the towns along ... read more
• December 28, 2012 at 8:56 am

  Whodathunkit says:

  Oh, never realized all those waterfront homes were built to deliver goods. Very interesting.
• December 27, 2012 at 5:01 pm

  Nebraskan says:

  AMEN! AMEN! no more communities on rivers! no more goods delivered via those nasty rivers and nasty oceans! Anyone smart enough not to build on water can pay some sort of a... read more

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