Officials Paying Close Attention To Back Bay Flooding Impact At Jersey Shore
By Mike DeNardo
STONE HARBOR, N.J., (CBS) -- Whenever a serious storm pounds the New Jersey shoreline, beach erosion seems to grab most of the headlines. But increasingly, government is playing attention to damage to properties on the bay side.
It sure seems like back bay flooding gets worse with each major storm, says Stone Harbor mayor Suzanne Walters. In last month's winter storm, she says, back bay levels were a foot higher than during Hurricane Sandy. She says 25 years ago the town raised its bulkheads from six-and-a-half to seven-and-a-half feet.
"Just about every one of them is up at that height now. We're looking into whether we need to go further with that. But we have to have some study behind it. We have to get some science behind it first," said Walters.
The state and the Army Corps of Engineers are planning a three-year study. Jim Fisher is all for that. He owns an Ace Hardware in Stone Harbor, and he lives on the bay side.
"We should study every way. There's too many ratables on all of these barrier islands now," said Fisher.
New Jersey sustained $83 million in damage during the January storm, much of that to bayfront properties.