Marty Mozzo, who owns a property on the bay side of a barrier island, enjoys a beautiful view each time the sun sets over wetlands.When he bought the house in 2008, the only trace of water was a small stream some yards from his house.One time, his wife asked if he thought the stream could cause a flood. He replied that the house was far from the stream therefore it couldn’t affect them whether or not it did overflow.
Shortly after the couple moved in, they got struck by a storm which left them stranded for days with water on all sides. In fact, a neighborhood in Ocean City, New Jersey, has resorted to unofficial etiquette such as; driving slowly through flooded streets to avoid creating ripples that may run into houses and damage lawns or scatter garbage bins.
High rate of flooding; an important issue that has been downplayed for so long.
They live in an environment where their land is being dampened by back-bay-Flooding. This could be caused by overflow of waterfront by wind or tides during storms or even on sunny days. A coastal scientist with U.S. Geological Survey, S. Jeffress Williams reiterated that rate of flooding is increasing in black-bay areas. He added that the high rate of flooding is an important issue that is not getting as much attention is due it.
Williams stated that Back Bay flooding occurs as frequently, or even more frequently than oceanfront flooding. He recounted that over the last two decades, the rate of flooding of roads and parks has been more than ever.
Superstorm Sandy, which occurred nearly 5 years ago, has put the problem of Back-Bay flooding into sharper focus. Money is starting to flow towards that direction, research is being carried and discussions about building codes are beginning to come up.
Sandystorm caused mayhem along black-bays, exposing thousand of homes to flooding.
In 2012, Sandystorm swept along the coasts of New York and New Jersey, destroying everything in its path. It also caused mayhem along the back bays, as long stretches of lagoons expose thousands of homes to flooding.
Owners of property in Brick Township received more than $276 million as compensation from the Federal Emergency Management Agency after the incident.
Neighboring Toms River, New Jersey, received twice the amount. They are both extensively exposed to back bay, and are the worst hit in Ocean County with New Jersey taking the hardest blow from Sandy.
