Brick Hires Firm For Flood Mitigation Proposals

BRICK, NJ — Brick Township officials have hired an engineering firm to come up with ways to address flooding that has been plaguing several waterfront neighborhoods in the township.

Flooding in several areas, including the bay side of the Normandy Beach section and Shore Acres, has been a persistent problem since Superstorm Sandy struck in October 2012. In the last year, the flooding in Normandy Beach has reached levels where some residents are unable to leave their homes.

It's an issue Brick officials have been trying to address, though residents have been very unhappy with the pace of those efforts.

"My house has water around it every single day," one Normandy Beach resident said at the Jan. 28 Township Council meeting. On New Year's Eve, the street was so flooded none of her family to get to her home for a planned gathering, she said.

In February, Business Administrator Joanne Bergin said the township was awaiting the proposal from ACT Engineering, one of the firms in its pool of professional services, to come up with potential solutions to address the flooding that is affecting so many residents.

"We have over 12 neighborhoods where this is happening, it's not just a Normandy Beach issue," Bergin said at the time. Read more: Persistent Flooding Leaves Brick Residents Seeking Help, Answers

Last week the township announced it had retained ACT Engineers to move forward with developing possible solutions.

The announcement on the township's website said ACT personnel are "reviewing and enhancing the high definition aerial topographic mapping in low-lying areas of the township and the collection of flooding information from residents to support flood mitigation strategies the township may undertake."

On Monday evening, Township Planner Tara Paxton said the township has included the need to address flooding mitigation in its proposed five-year action plan for Community Block Development Grant funding it receives from the federal Department of Housing and Urban Development.

Brick officials also are in discussions with Toms River on a possible joint project to raise the level of some roads in Normandy Beach, which spans the two towns.

Paxton said there will be meetings scheduled with residents of various neighborhoods later in May to gather more information for the possible flooding mitigation proposals.

If the ban on public gatherings remains in place, the meetings will be conducted via the township's Zoom account.

The township has provided ACT with existing stormwater infrastructure mapping, and that information will be combined with aerial data from the U.S. Geological Survey to establish current baseline mapping for the affected flood-prone areas, the township said.

Representatives from ACT Engineers have been on site collecting data and documenting flood conditions, as well as inspecting catch basins.

Check the township website for updates on meetings.

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