Christie: Don't Wait to Elevate, Rebuild; Grant Money on the Way
Governor: Don't listen to 'dopes' saying to hold off
Gov. Chris Christie took a stand this week against public officials and community leaders calling on residents to wait for potential changes to Federal Emergency Management Agency flood maps before elevating or rebuilding their homes in the wake of Superstorm Sandy.
Christie, speaking in Lavallette Tuesday, said the state's adoption of FEMA's advisory base flood elevation maps last month will ensure residents build smarter and stronger, and avoid the consequences that came in Sandy's storm surge.
"Fight away, I'm fighting too, but don't tell people not to rebuild their homes if they want to," said Christie.
"Don't we want people in safer homes and more resilient homes?"
Some have called on residents to wait for FEMA to put out revised, preliminary maps this summer before they raise their homes, since those maps may rezone certain neighborhoods and scale back the type of construction or height needed to comply in order to receive affordable flood insurance rates.
But Christie said waiting could cost residents the chance to score grants that could help pay for house raising, at least for primary residents.
The governor said Tuesday that a grant program funded by the federal government could be in place at the state level as early as late March.
"We want people to make a commitment to stay in these communities," he said, and residents deserve a "helping hand."
The grants will come in the form of Community Development Block Grants.
One of the largest ever single allocations of CDBG funds – $17 billion – was included in the federal Sandy relief package passed by congress and signed by President Barack Obama.
Christie said the CDBG funding will be for primary residents only.
commonman
2:11 pm on Thursday, February 21, 2013
i am a fan of the gov but disagree on this one sounds like he is worried the smart people will back up and leave
Martin
11:31 am on Tuesday, February 26, 2013
Growing protests to erroneous maps, over-kill elevation mandates and exorbitant insurance costs: ==> http://tomsriver.patch.com/articles/overcrowding-forces-cops-to-halt-stop-fema-now-meeting
There will be a DEP public hearing a week from Thursday -- MARCH 7TH in Long Branch (5:30 PM, Municipal Bldg., 344 Broadway) about Gov. Christie's adoption of the FEMA rules. Speak out against the rules that will make tens of thousands abandon their homes and businesses because FEMA made them unaffordable!
Sal
6:32 pm on Thursday, February 21, 2013
Every animal found in nature has the built in common sense and instincts to build their nests and dens on higher ground. Only humans view elevating structures upon rebuilding as 'optional' while all creatures found in Nature know elevation is their safest bet and they would not consider doing it any other way. Elevating homes 6,8,10, 12 feet depending on it's location can prevent homeowners from losing their homes and possessions in the future and prevent going through this nightmare of frustration and stress again.
Bob
7:20 pm on Friday, February 22, 2013
You are missing many points. 1st he is not guarantying each homeowner will get a grant. Second, if you go from a V to an A you can elevate on block foundations giving you an enclosed garage rather than on open pilings. Third, some that did not flood will not have to elevate if they get rezoned back out of A. Fourth if you cannot move your home to put pilings in and you are in a V zone you have no choice but to wait to get rezoned to an A otherwise you have to demolish & build new & certainly he is not giving enough money to do this. These are only 4 points. Have governator answer those 4 as reasons not to wait and I will start building tomorrow.
Mark McConnel
7:32 am on Friday, February 22, 2013
Bottom line is that people are stupid.
commonman
8:40 pm on Thursday, February 21, 2013
If u need to raise ur house it should not be there humans are so arrogant they never learn that Mother Nature makes the rules u can either play by the rules and not live where she tells u not to or u can not play by the rules and keep suffering the consequences and costing every tax payer at the same time wake up stop the madness and get the $$@& out of the flood zones let Mother Nature have way u can't win
commonman
7:32 am on Friday, February 22, 2013
The gov should be relocating these ignorant people not rebuilding there houses only a politician would advocate rebuilding because they only tell u what u want to hear the storms are going to get worse it will happen more frequently and when will someone say maybe it is not smart to live close to the ocean/river/inlet????????
New Jerseyan
9:19 am on Friday, February 22, 2013
First off, commonman, don't speak of ignorant people when you do not have the minimal sense of punctuation or grammar! Secondly, if we were to vacate every place in the US that mother nature has caused damage, we would have no place to live. The south/ southeast deals with hurricanes and tropical storms, the center states deal with tornadoes, the west deal with earthquakes and wildfires, and the northernmost states are frozen solid most of the year. So the way I see it, the governor is not ignorant nor are New Jerseyans for wanting to pick themselves up by the boot straps and rebuild their homes, towns, roads, bridges and get back to their way of live in the beautiful Jersey Shore!
Enuf Already
9:48 am on Friday, February 22, 2013
OK, so according to Commonman: Those of you who live along the coast, from southern Texas, along the coasts of Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, all of Florida, north to Maine, need to move because of the higher risk of flooding and hurricane damage. And everybody who lives on the west coast, from the southern most boarder of California to the northern boarder of Washington state, all of the southern coast of Alaska, and all of Hawaii must now move because of the high threat of earthquakes. And Hey! You guys in the Mid-west! Don't get too comfortable! You're not safe either... you need to find somewhere else to live because of all the tornados that constantly bombard your homes! So it looks like the only place safe in the U.S. from natural disasters are those areas in the upper mid-west like Illionois. Oh wait... Nope! ...you guys near Chicago gotta move too! You have a tendancy to experience fatal heat waves such as in 1980 when 1,700 people died or 1995 when over 700 people succumbed to the heat.
Commonman's comment is the truly an example of all too common, "ignorance".
PM EH
3:17 pm on Friday, February 22, 2013
I don't think anyone is objecting to living on higher ground or elevating their homes. The fact is that many people cannot afford to simply walk away from their homes and buy something else on higher ground or elevate their house. Assuming you have flood insurance, and assuming your house was "substantially damaged", the $30,000 ICOC does not cover the cost to raise a typical house. And if your house is not "typical" (i.e., built on a slab), the ICOC doesn't even begin to cover the cost. To make matters worse, if your house was damaged, but not "substantially damaged" you aren't even eligible to receive the $30,000 ICOC payment.
Comparing people to animals, which can fly from one tree to another or dig a new hole, is both silly and offensive.
While I understand the necessity of building houses that are more resistant to storm and flood damage I just don't understand how many of the people in the affected areas are going to afford the cost of elevating their homes or the cost of higher flood insurance premiums. Many of these people have lived in these communities their entire lives, and their parents before them.
Sadly I see a future where many of the towns along the Bayshore will be slowly gutted as long time residents give up and walk away. Of course the developers will move in, buy up the cheap properties and put up townhouses and condos.
The storm continues. The physical damage is over but the financial / emotional damage continues.
Row 15
3:17 pm on Friday, February 22, 2013
commonman, you are ignorant of the situation, Think before you post
Dominick Palermo
4:26 pm on Friday, February 22, 2013
Commonman---------Is right in a way ---------- If you live 50 ft from the ocean ----Damn good chance your going to be flooded out in a major storm -----------Hey we all want to live close to the beach --but how close is close ?If you choose to live that close where you are flooded ----Well its kinda on you ------- I choose to live 4 miles from the beach on a hill --so i know i wont be flooded
commonman
4:54 pm on Friday, February 22, 2013
Thank u Dominick Palermo that's the point I want a water view but not worth the risk at some point people have to take responsiblity for there decisions and I truly feel for those affected but if they don't learn from this I can't wont and don't want to help them
commonman
9:34 am on Tuesday, February 26, 2013
Gov. Cuomo said yesterday that 169 of 192 residents of Staten Island’s storm devastated Oakwood Beach have taken him up on his offer to buy out their Sandy-ravaged homes.
The people who live in the battered neighborhood have been enticed by a deal that will pay them 100 percent of their damaged home’s prestorm market value — plus 5 percent if the homeowners stay on Staten Island, Cuomo said. The feds will pick up 75 percent of the tab.
“Let’s build back smarter than before, and let’s do it right,” Cuomo said during a visit Monday to the College of Staten Island. “Let’s also recognize that there are some places that Mother Nature owns.”
amen