The New Jersey Silver Jackets team is focused on the areas of outreach and coordination, flood inundation mapping, and implementing the recommendations of the Passaic River Flood Advisory Commission.
The Passaic River Flood Advisory Commission recommendations include:
1. Expanding and expediting floodway buyouts, with State Blue Acres funds and Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) funds
2. Encouraging home elevation projects in flood prone areas if acquisition is not an option
3. Buying undeveloped land for use as flood storage areas
4. Improving operation of the Pompton Lakes dam floodgates
5. Initiating de-snagging and shoal dredging efforts to facilitate improved river flows
6. Removing feeder dams to offer flood relief to Pompton Lakes, Wayne and Pequannock
7. State adoption of National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) regulations to ensure state rules are consistent with local flood control ordinances, and eliminating the risk that FEMA could suspend its flood insurance program in New Jersey
8. Expediting the NJ Department of Environmental Protection's (DEP) permit process to let towns more quickly obtain permits to de-snag and remove river debris, repair retaining walls and remove shoals
9. Improving effectiveness and efficiency of county and local emergency response plans
10. Enhancing the Passaic River flood warning system
11. Contracting with the National Weather Service (NWS) to create inundation maps to provide critical information to enable quicker flood projections and greater storm preparedness
12. Enhancing public involvement, information and outreach on flood issues
13. Requesting a re-evaluation by the Army Corps of Engineers of the lager potential major engineering projects for long-term flood damage reduction
14. Updating floodplain mapping to eliminate decades-old maps that do not include detailed modeling of floodplains
15. Having towns in the Passaic River Basin pursue flood risk reduction changes to their master plans, zoning ordinances and flood prevention ordinances, to guide future development away from floodplains or prevent future development in these high risk flood-prone areas
Example Activities
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Passaic River Basin Flood Inundation Mapping (4 sites)
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Passaic River Basin Unsteady Modeling for Forecast Improvements
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Flood Inundation Mapping for Rahway River & Assunpink Creek
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Non-Structural Flood Proofing Workshops in Cumberland County
For More Information Contact
Jason Miller, Philadelphia District, Jason.F.Miller@usace.army.mil, 215-656-6549
Matt Cosby, New York District, Matthew.G.Cosby@usace.army.mil, 917-790-8080
Participating Agencies
Federal
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Federal Emergency Management Agency, Region II, Mitigation Division
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National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration – National Weather Service
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U.S. Army Corps of Engineers -Philadelphia and New York Districts
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U.S. Department of Agriculture – Natural Resources Conservation Service
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U.S. Geological Survey
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U.S. Housing and Urban Development
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U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
State
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Delaware River Basin Commission
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NJ Department of Environmental Protection, Office of Engineering and Construction
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NJ Office of Emergency Management, Preparedness and Mitigation Unit
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NJ Office of Homeland Security and Protection
Current as of February 2017