PUBLIC NOTICE
This information is being sent to you as part of the requirements to give public information in the event of a flood emergency from the Borough of Harvey Cedars.
Our municipality is located entirely in the 100-year floodplain and, additionally, entirely located in what FEMA (Federal Emergency Management Agency) labeled a special flood hazard area.
A map depicting this information is available for perusal at the Borough of Harvey Cedars Building Department, 7606 Long Beach Boulevard, as well as at the Ocean County Public Library located in Surf City.
The purpose of this notification is to inform you of the flood hazard associated with this area and suggest possible actions you can take to protect yourself and your property. This notice is not intended to frighten you, but to inform the public.
Harvey Cedars has developed a warning system for all areas within the community. Warnings will be disseminated by sirens, also by listening to radio stations WOBM, WJRZ and WJLK or to the television station Comcast Cable TV, which is the local cable company serving our area, weather radio and by police and fire vehicles equipped with the public address systems. The flood warning system is equipped to provide up to twenty four hour advance warning of a flood emergency.
If you have received this information in the mail, you should be concerned about the flood hazard. There are several actions you can take to mitigate the flood hazard, including:
You may also call 361-1000 in Long Beach Township for storm and emergency updates.
Your homeowners insurance policy will not cover you for losses due to flooding. Harvey Cedars participates in the National Flood Insurance program which makes flood insurance available to everyone in Harvey Cedars. Federal law requires that a flood insurance policy be obtained as a condition of a federally backed mortgage or loan that is secured by the building. It is up to the lender to determine whether flood insurance is required for a property.
For many people, their home and its' contents represent their greatest investment. We strongly urge you to buy flood insurance to protect yourself from devastating losses due to flooding.
Information about flood insurance can be obtained from your insurance agent. Property owners can insure their buildings and contents and renters can insure their possessions.
Just because your house hasn’t flooded in the recent past does not mean that you are safe. There is a thirty (30) day waiting period before a flood insurance policy takes effect, so you should call your insurance agent now.
During an emergency, certain measures can be taken to protect your property from serious damage. Board windows or use masking tape to keep breaking windows from shattering. Move all loose objects and furniture to an enclosure to secure them. These objects can become deadly projectiles in a high wind. If you leave your home, turn off the electric and gas. Moving the furniture and personal objects to a second floor or lifting them off the floor will protect them from rising water.
If your property has had flood damage in the past and even if you have been fortunate enough to never experienced a flood, there are steps to take to give your house more protection in the future. Studies have shown that Retrolifting (the practice of flood-proofing, elevating, or otherwise modifying to protect from flood damage) can effectively reduce flood damage, especially from shallow, slow moving flooding. The best way to minimize flood damage is to raise your home so the lowest habitable floor is at or above your base flood elevation. Current cost estimates for this range from $25,000.00 to $35,000.00 and your flood insurance premiums could be significantly reduced. The inexpensive task of installing flood vents in your home can also reduce flood damage. Additional information can be obtained from several sources, including the local building department, the Ocean County Library located in Surf City, the Floodplain Resource Center, Boulder, Colorado (303) 492-6808, and The Federal Emergency Management Agency.
Certain permits are required for all types of development and improvements. Before making improvements to your home or property, contact the Construction Code Office at 609-361-6016. You should contact the Construction Code Office immediately to report any illegal construction. The Construction Official can help guide you through the process for flood proofing and/or raising your house.
SUBSTANTIAL IMPROVEMENTS REQUIREMENTS
The National Flood Insurance Program and the BOCA Uniform Construction Code which your community complies with, require that if the cost of reconstruction, rehabilitation, addition, or other improvements to a building equals 50% of the building’s assessed value, then the building must meet the same construction requirements as a new building. Substantially damaged buildings must also be brought up to the same standards (e.g. a residence damaged so that the cost of repairs equals or exceeds 50% of the building’s assessed value before it was damaged, it must be elevated above the base flood elevation). This requirement is enforced by the Local Construction Code Official.
Strict enforcement of the Local Codes is crucial to maintaining the family atmosphere we pride ourselves on. As a part of this, it is important to maintain our storm drainage system in order to keep storm water flowing freely through them. Our community has a drainage system maintenance program and any major blockages should be reported to the Public Works Department. Our community has an Ordinance (Sections 3-1.3 and 3-1.4 of the Borough Code) to protect this important drainage system. Do not sweep trash or yard clippings into the system and do not dump chemicals into the storm drains. Violators should be reported to the Harvey Cedars Police Department at 609-494-3036 immediately.
NATURAL AND BENEFICIAL FUNCTIONS
Beach dunes are the most important natural protection we have against the ocean. The dunes functionally serve to prevent the ocean from reaching property. Without the dunes, property would be subjected to frequent flooding and or total destruction. It is important to remember this and to protect the dunes. Local, State and Federal building codes have since been established to protect the dunes, which in turn protect lives and property. Our beach dunes are the only protection we have against the sea and we have laws in place to protect them. Local Ordinance #10-2.2 restricts construction in the beach-dune area, Local Ordinance # 10-3 restricts access to the beach, to street-ends and legal Boardwalks and steps, Local Ordinance #10-5 restricts removal of sand within the beach-dune area. The local building office can provide more information about laws which protect the dunes.
Additional information and/or materials concerning the above topics is available from the Ocean County Library located in Surf City. Other sources of information are the Harvey Cedars Building Department (609) 361-6016, The Floodplain Management Resource Center (303) 492-6818, HAZCTR@COLORADO.EDU, The Federal Emergency Management Agency (800) 638-6620 or your community National Flood Insurance Program Coordinator in Harvey Cedars: Daina Dale, Municipal Clerk (609) 361-6000.
THIS COULD BE YOUR HOME
LEARN TO PROTECT YOURSELF
AND YOUR PROPERTY FROM FLOODING