It will be interesting to see what FEMA has to say at the VVP meeting tonight.

Seems like the difficult issue is with homeowners who own duplexes or single units within a brownstone do not have the option of raising their living spaces.

My understanding is the City is having meetings and trying to figure out exactly what the new guidelines will be. There seem to also be a few developments on hold to find out exactly what the requirements will be.

18 Park was already approved and if I am not mistaken, already broken ground. They chose to raise their base 7 feet in anticipation of the new requirements.

The requirements will also change for commercial/retail space. They will be allowed to utilize dry and wet flood proofing instead of raising their retail above the pedestrian's gaze.

I have friends who lost most of their living space that are choosing to build up instead of recreate their ground floor. In addition, the BPU is reviewing (and will be holding public meetings) the role of the utility companies in storms using models where they lose power to 75% of their customers.

Post-Hurricane Sandy Advisory Base Flood Elevations Map

Zoom in on Jersey City -- Click link below:

http://fema.maps.arcgis.com/home/webm ... bfb434d76af8c15c26541a545

From an article in the pressofatlanticcity.com

New flood zones for thousands of houses and swaths of low-lying sections include a dreaded word to property owners: velocity.

Velocity zones, which mean property owners need to prepare for high waves on top of storm surges during hurricanes or northeasters, were limited to just a few houses directly along the water.

Residents may have to shell out significantly more money for flood insurance, and new houses in the zones will be subject to much more stringent building codes.

While these maps were released as information only, with final maps expected sometime this summer, municipalities can adopt the data into their zoning codes, said Ryan Pietramali, risk analysis branch chief for FEMA, on Friday. That could mean homeowners whose houses suffered damage during Sandy that totaled at least 50 percent of the building's value may be forced to rebuild to new building codes, such as raising houses...

Google Earth should be able to show you the elevation of your property.

Has anyone heard something from the city about the Advisory BFEs ? I don't think insurance takes into account the actual elevation of your unit (i.e. your brownstone as a whole might be 9 feet above sea level, but if youre on the 4th floor, then technically you are .........).

Good post. As of right now I know that the BFE in my neighborhood is 9 feet. The advisory BFE is 12 feet, so the flood insurance benchmark elevation increased by 3 feet (assuming JC adopts it).

This is a large increase in the BFE and is probably going to end up affecting flood insurance rates for lots of properties in Jersey City - even ones that "don't flood."

My question now is, how do I find out precisely what the physical elevation of my property is, for the purposes of comparison with FEMA's ABFE? Is hiring a surveyor they only way to find out, or is there some reliable (cheap/free) resource I can use to look it up?

After surviving one of New Jersey?s worst storms on record, many Hurricane Sandy victims are facing a new struggle as they rebuild: Should they raise their battered homes?

It?s an issue brought on by the Federal Emergency Management Agency?s advisory base flood elevations, which were released in December. Those elevations set new standards on how high homeowners have to make their homes to avoid hefty insurance premiums, and they have cast a looming shadow over the post-hurricane recovery.


The elevations, which were part of a flood map overhaul that was in the works before Sandy, were released early to serve as a guide for victims rebuilding their houses. But many victims and municipalities are still confused about what the elevations mean for them and how they could be met.

Some clarity came when Gov. Chris Christie adopted the federal government?s advisory elevations. While that may have answered how high the hurricane victims should build, many of them are still wondering if they should.

Here's what you should know if you?re debating whether to lift your house:

Q. What is a base flood elevation?
A. It?s a height calculated by FEMA that marks the level of floodwater during a 100-year storm. The base flood elevation and the actual elevation of your house play a large part in determining your flood insurance rates.

Q. How can I find out what my current base flood elevation is?
A. Check your local municipal building department or property records to find existing base flood elevations, said Larry Hajna, spokesman for the state Department of Environmental Protection. To find your new advisory elevation, type in your address at FEMA's advisory elevation website.

Q. What are advisory base flood elevations, and what changes will they bring?
A. The advisory elevations are the new base flood elevations recommended by FEMA as the agency works on an updated Flood Insurance Rate Map for New Jersey, FEMA spokesman Darrell Habisch said. That insurance rate map is what determines your insurance premium ? not the advisory elevations themselves, which are more like ?a preview,? Habisch said.

That means there might be some changes to the elevations after FEMA unveils its preliminary insurance map later this year, though the agency doesn?t anticipate major differences. Until that map goes into effect, possibly in early 2015, insurance premiums will not be affected.

So far, FEMA is calling for changes that will drastically alter homes along New Jersey?s barrier islands and the shores of Raritan Bay, with many buildings needing to be raised to help prevent future flood damage. In communities such as the Ortley Beach section of Toms River and Union Beach, that could mean elevating your house more than four feet.

Q. What is a "V" zone?
A. The most vulnerable homes are in the "V" zones, which are waterfront areas that are at highest risk for flooding and 3-foot breaking waves. But houses may still need to be raised in the coastal "A" zone, which isn?t as vulnerable as the "V" zone but is still subject to major damage .

The advisory elevations show that more houses have been included in the "V" zones, but FEMA spokesman Chris McKniff wasn?t able to say exactly how many, since nothing is final until the flood maps go into effect. However, he said any changes in the zones were being planned before Sandy struck and took into account decades of flood data.

Q. Are towns and residents required to obey the advisory elevations?
A. The state adopted the federal government?s advisory elevations, but ultimately it?s up to the municipalities to make them a requirement, Hajna said.

Whether they will is still unclear. Bill Dressel, executive director of the New Jersey League of Municipalities, said he?s heard from several towns that were worried the elevations could cause revenues from property taxes to plummet.

Dressel did not know if any municipalities have decided to enforce the advisory elevations, but Hajna said Long Branch recently adopted the higher elevations.

Dressel called for patience as everyone tries to make sense of the new standards. ?There are a lot of moving parts and a lot of pieces of the rebuilding puzzle that need to be put in place,? he said.

Q. What happens if I don?t comply with the new elevations?
A. You will pay more in flood insurance. According to FEMA, a property that?s four feet below the advisory elevation in a high-hazard area could cost the owner roughly $31,000 a year for flood insurance. The premium drops to $7,000 if the home is at the new standard, and falls to $3,500 if the house is built two feet higher.

Should municipalities choose not to adopt the flood insurance map, they will be barred from the federally subsidized National Flood Insurance Program, McKniff said.

Q. What if I can?t afford to raise my house?
A. According to FEMA, there are three ways the federal government can help: low-interest loans from the U.S. Small Business Administration, FEMA grants and Increased Cost of Compliance coverage from the National Flood Insurance Program.

The Increased Cost of Compliance coverage, commonly called ICC, can provide up to $30,000 to homes insured under the National Flood Insurance Program. However, property owners are only eligible for ICC if their property suffered damages totaling 50 percent or more of the pre-storm market value, or if they suffer repetitive flooding,

The costs of raising a home differs for each situation, but a $30,000 ICC payment might cover the costs of elevating a small home, according to the New Jersey Builders Association. More money would be required to raise a larger house.

If you don?t qualify for ICC, you might be eligible for grants from FEMA. The agency provides up to $31,900 to hurricane victims registered in its Individuals and Households Program. However, the program only pays for repairs that aren?t covered by insurance.

FEMA also has a Hazard Mitigation Grant Program, which is only available to state and local governments. Individuals cannot apply, but they can ask their governments to apply on their behalf. Property buyouts and structure elevations can be covered through this program.

If those options are ruled out, low-interest disaster loans from the SBA are available. A homeowner can borrow up to $200,000 for 30 years at 1.67 percent interest to repair or replace a primary residence to its pre-storm condition. A business owner can borrow up to $2 million at 4 percent interest.

Q. I?m already raising my house. What if the advisory elevations change again when the flood insurance rate maps come out, and my home falls short of the threshold for lower insurance premiums?
A. Either you can build even higher, or you can absorb the financial loss. Hajna said the state does not anticipate significant changes, but FEMA officials recommend raising your home even higher than the advisory elevations just in case there are any alterations.

Q. If I choose not to comply with the new elevations, will that affect what I receive from FEMA in the future?
A. There won?t be any repercussions from FEMA, Habisch said, but be prepared for higher insurance premiums.

FEMA FLOOD MAPS
The Federal Emergency Management Agency recently released maps showing areas prone to flooding along the coastal regions. Known as the Advisory Base Flood Elevation maps, they are similar to flood insurance maps also released by the agency, but do not have any impact on insurance premiums. Agency officials say their purpose is to guide reconstruction efforts and strengthen building codes.

The interactive map below shows areas prone to flooding ? Zone V is susceptible to 100-year floods and high-velocity impacts from waves and Zone A to 100-year floods ? along with the corresponding elevation that flooding would occur at.

To see these areas, enter an address, city, county or other location in the search box below. Click on the "Legend" button to see how to read the map. Another option: Move your cursor to the area you want to see, and keep clicking the + sign in the top left corner of the map to zoom in.

Click here to see what zone you are in.