Swedish Teen's 'Climate Strike' Gets Backing In Ortley Beach

TOMS RIVER, NJ — A Swedish teenager's call for a worldwide "Climate Strike" on Friday is getting the support of Ortley Beach homeowners, who are planning to hold a protest as part of the international event.

"Superstorm Sandy devastated Ortley Beach, and despite new dunes and wider beaches, our community remains perilously vulnerable to sea level rise," the Ortley Beach Voters and Taxpayers Association said in a news release. "By 2045, 9 percent of the homes in Toms River, or 3,648 homes, are at risk of becoming chronically inundated. Many of these homes are in Ortley Beach. Without action on climate change and slowing the rising seas, our close-knit community will be lost as our streets, infrastructure and homes become inundated by water."

Thousands of homes were damaged and destroyed in Toms River when Sandy struck Oct. 29, 2012. In Ortley Beach, some homes were completely washed away; others were knocked off their foundations, and left in shambles. Even now, seven years after the storm, some lots remain empty and up for sale as owners decided not to rebuild.

The worldwide Climate Strikes, urged by Swedish teenager Greta Thunberg, are planned for Friday, Sept. 20. Ortley Beach residents will gather on the 3rd Avenue beach and boardwalk in Ortley Beach at 5:30 p.m., the news release said.

The Ortley Beach climate strike aims to raise awareness that seven years after Sandy, there are families still suffering from the impact of the storm. Additionally, the Ortley Beach strike aims to highlight that seasonal high tide flooding has become more frequent and more severe; that New Jersey is not prepared for future severe storms, and that upcoming changes to the National Flood Insurance Program will lead to rising and unaffordable premiums, the OBVTA said.

The Ortley Beach Climate Strike is being held by the OBVTA in cooperation with Stop FEMA Now and the New Jersey Organizing Project; the latter two formed in the wake of Superstorm Sandy in October 2012.

A report by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration titled Climate Central published in 2017 said there was a 96 percent chance that Ortley Beach and its Dover North Beaches neighbors will be under water by 2100. The timeline has sped up, according to 2019 reporting.

Updated flood zone maps are anticipated to be released by the Federal Emergency Management Agency in early 2020, and they are expected to double the number of properties in the United States that are within flood zones, the OBVTA news release said.

The group said flood insurance premiums also are expected to double every four years, while at the same time they expec there will be limited resources for mitigation, such as elevation, and insufficient resources for community-wide mitigation and adaptation.

"The premium increases are expected to be particularly harmful to second-home owners, many of whom enjoy Ortley Beach," the group said. "New Jersey is simply not prepared for another severe storm and we know that Sandy caused severe health and financial problems for survivors."

"Youth around the world will be striking from school on Friday," the OBVTA said. "The week of Sept. 16th-20th, youth, and coastal residents like us, are calling for mass mobilizations ahead of a United Nations emergency climate summit."

Thunberg testified before Congress on Wednesday, urging members to "listen to the scientists" about the potentially devastating effects of climate change. She spoke before a Foreign Affairs subcommittee and the House Select Committee on the Climate Crisis, sharing a 2018 global warming report from a United Nations science panel, NBC News reported.

"I am submitting this report as my testimony because I don't want you to listen to me. I want you to listen to the scientists, and I want you to unite behind the science." Thunberg, 16, said.

Organizers of the worldwide initiative say more than 1,700 strikes are planned in more than 150 countries. Some companies, like Burton and Patagonia, will be shutting down physical and online stores on Sept. 20 and encouraging employees and customers to strike.

"We must all take action to call attention to the impacts we are already seeing from sea level rise and extreme weather and insist on meaningful solutions for our communities," the OBVTA said, inviting the public to join the strike. "Come and communicate to the world that YOU care about climate change and demand action to protect our communities for our children, grandchildren and generations beyond."

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