FEMA awards Downbeach towns $2.7 million for resiliency projects

Bulkheads like this one will be rebuilt at higher elevations.

By NANETTE LoBIONDO GALLOWAY

The Federal Emergency Management Agency has announced that five South Jersey resiliency projects have been selected for funding, including projects in Ventnor and Longport.

The Flood Mitigation Assistance Program is a competitive grant that provides funding for local communities to implement projects that reduce or eliminate the risk of repetitive flood damage to buildings insured by the National Flood Insurance Program. FEMA chooses recipients based on the overall ranking and the eligibility and cost-effectiveness of each project. All of the FEMA funded applications were prepared by Rutala Associates, a local planning firm.

"Chronic lack of investment in climate resilience has only made matters worse for America's crumbling infrastructure," FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell said in a statement announcing the awards.

Two projects totaling $2.7 million were funded in Atlantic County.

A $1.6 million grant was awarded to the City of Ventnor for bulkhead replacement along Winchester Avenue from Marion Avenue to Jackson Avenue, where it will meet up with a bulkhead replacement project currently underway in Atlantic City. The project consists of:

• 500 linear feet of bulkhead with deadmen anchor pilings behind the bulkhead that will extend back to the existing road; and


• reconstruction of Winchester Avenue, including curbs and sidewalks, associated drainage, and electrical and outlet structures.

The Borough of Longport received $1.1 million to protect bayfront properties. The Winchester Avenue Resiliency Project will:

• construct a new pumping station at 31^st Avenue and the bay;


• replace and upgrade stormwater pipes along Winchester Avenue from 31^st to 34^th avenues;


• replace and upgrade stormwater pipes along 34^th Avenue from Winchester Avenue to the new 31^st Avenue pumping station; and


• replace pumping equipment at the existing 34^th Avenue pump station to accommodate increased runoff.

FEMA also awarded a $70,875 grant to Wildwood Crest to fund the conceptual design of a stormwater pump station for the Washington Avenue area.  Dozens of repetitive loss properties will benefit from the added protection provided by the project.

Cape May City was awarded a $195,536 grant for the engineering design and permitting of the Beach Avenue flood mitigation project. The project includes final design to extend the city's promenade/seawall seven blocks from Philadelphia and Madison avenues to the corner of Beach and Wilmington avenues.

A third Cape May County project at Otten's Harbor was selected for further review.  The project includes a living shoreline along Mediterranean and Andrews avenues, stormwater infrastructure replacement, and new bulkheads at seven street ends.

Some of the funding for FEMA Agency programs will come from last year's Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. The rest will come from FEMA's Disaster Relief Fund.

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