For Immediate Release
October 28, 2022
Media Contact: Anjuli.Ramos@sierraclub.org | 267-399-6422
Superstorm Sandy Impacts Still Felt After a Decade
Today marks the 10th Anniversary of Superstorm Sandy. Hurricane Sandy was the costliest natural disaster in the history of New Jersey with $30 billion in damages. According to NJDEP data, 38 lives were lost, 346,000 homes were destroyed or damaged and 2 million people lost power.
“Superstorm Sandy happened 10 years ago but New Jersey hasn’t fully recovered. This deadly storm killed 38 people, destroyed hundreds of thousands of homes, and cost the state over $30 billion dollars in damage. Sandy was a warning for New Jersey that we need to strengthen our resiliency while weaning ourselves off fossil fuels. Unfortunately a decade has passed and the state’s urgency is lacking. Climate change is here along with stronger storms, more flooding, sea level rise, and destruction. Sea level rise will not only impact our coastal communities but also the ones further inland. We need to be prepared and adapt,” said Anjuli Ramos- Busot, New Jersey Director of the Sierra Club.
According to a multi-agency report conducted by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, NASA, Department of Defense, EPA, U.S Army Corp, Rutgers University and other agencies and universities, sea level along the U.S coast will rise by about a foot or more by 2050 and at least 2 feet by 2100. Researcher Rich Spinrad stated that sea level will rise despite our current and future efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. However a lack of emission reductions could add 1.5 feet to 5 feet more by 2100. According to the report, New Jersey would have 282,354 homes at risk of flooding by 2050. Rebuilding after Hurricane Sandy, accounts for much of the new construction in New Jersey that will be at risk to flooding.
“There have been countless reports that show climate impacts are getting worse. An NOAA report shows that sea level will rise to 7 feet by the end of the century if our emissions continue to increase. New Jersey is one of the most vulnerable states when it comes to sea level rise and climate change. Some even call it, the ground zero for climate change impacts. That’s why it is critical that our government leaders, state legislature, NJDEP, BPU and the Governor’s office work together on long term, effective solutions that deal with the increasing climate impacts. We must work with nature to make sure we are not putting people in harm’s way. We also cannot forget that our reliance on fossil fuels is literally fueling this climate disaster. In order to avoid a 7 foot increase in sea level, we need to transition away from fossil fuels immediately. This means stopping the LNG facility in Gibbstown, PVSC, TGP’s Compressor Stations, William Transco’s REAE, and the Keasbey Power Plant while better regulating our current carbon sources,” said Ramos-Busot.
The New Jersey Sierra Club urges the State to push toward the state’s climate and clean energy goals to respond and adapt to the climate crisis as New Jersey becomes increasingly vulnerable to destruction from sea level rise and flooding. A significant part of this can be accomplished by the NJ Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP) to come out with the critical tidal management, and the complete package of flood hazard and stormwater rules and protective measures in order to plan for future storm events of Sandy’s magnitude.
“We cannot continue to put New Jersey’s coastal communities and their infrastructure in harm's way without taking the necessary preventive and adaptive measures for future resiliency. We cannot afford the human, environmental, and economic costs of another Superstorm Sandy, and must keep New Jersey communities above water as the climate crisis only worsens and storms like Sandy become more recurrent” said Anjuli Ramos-Busot, New Jersey Director of the Sierra Club. “Every hurricane season is a ticking bomb for the next big storm to come. We live in fear of destruction because the storms do in fact keep coming, every year, and stronger. It is just a matter of what States gets hit. Sandy’s 10th anniversary is a poignant reminder of the cost of inaction on climate and disaster management, and its resounding impacts are still burdening New Jersey residents and families who are rebuilding ten years later. Governor Murphy, NJDEP, and the BPU must be swift in taking the appropriate action that will help New Jersey adapt to another storm like Sandy.”
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About the Sierra Club: The Sierra Club is America’s largest and most influential grassroots environmental organization, with millions of members and supporters. In addition to protecting every person's right to get outdoors and access the healing power of nature, the Sierra Club works to promote clean energy, safeguard the health of our communities, protect wildlife, and preserve our remaining wild places through grassroots activism, public education, lobbying, and legal action. For more information about our work in New Jersey, visit www.sierraclub.org/new-jersey.