Feds Set Aside $2.3M To Buyout 10 Wayne Homes In Flood Zones

WAYNE, NJ - The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) is allocating $2.3 million to acquire and demolish 10 flood-prone homes in Wayne, according to officials.

The money is the latest round of funding earmarked to conduct buyouts of homes in Wayne's flood zone.

In December 2019, U.S. Senators Bob Menendez and Cory Booker announced $3.7 million to acquire 26 homes in Wayne that were damaged during a March 2018 snowstorm. Last year, the township also received $13 million to purchase 48 houses in the flood zone.

“Voluntary buyouts and home elevations are part of a broader mitigation plan that will make New Jersey more resilient and better prepared to handle future storms,” said Menendez. “We must continue investing in robust mitigation and resiliency projects because they save lives and protect entire communities.”

“Many New Jersey communities remain vulnerable to repeated flooding and we must focus on investments that will help New Jersey families mitigate some of the most devastating impacts of storms,” said Booker. “These federal resources are critical to addressing the dangers of flooding and an important part of our state’s long-term resiliency efforts.”

On Tuesday, the senators also announced that $3.3 million would be used to elevate 15 flood-prone properties in Pequannock Township.

Local, state and federal officials say they have been looking to find ways to help alleviate flooding issues in Passaic, Essex and Morris counties. The 935-square-mile Passaic River basin has experienced regular floods in the past 50 years, with the worst coming in 1984 and in 2011 with Tropical Storm Irene.

Last year, Sen. Menendez introduced the National Flood Insurance Program Reauthorization and Reform (NFIP Re) Act of 2019, which tackles systemic problems with flood insurance, puts it back on solid fiscal ground, and reframes the nation’s entire disaster paradigm to one that focuses more on prevention and mitigation to spare the high cost of rebuilding after flood disasters.