Barnegat Area Is In NJ's Most Vulnerable Hurricane Zone: Report

BARNEGAT, NJ — The Barnegat area and Southern Ocean County are among New Jersey's most vulnerable spots for hurricane winds and flooding, according to a report released this past week.

The risk of hurricane impact is also greatly expanding around the state, according to research performed by Rutgers University and other collaborators. The report mapped out how likely each area is to experience hurricane-force winds in the 1980s and today.

In the 1980s, Barnegat, Manahawkin and Long Beach Island had between 1-in-100 and 1-in-200 chance of facing hurricane winds and flooding. That means the time interval between storms of that caliber would be an estimated 100 to 200 years.

The current map gives the area a 1-in-30 chance, indicating an estimated 30 years between hurricane winds.

See the map below:

The most vulnerable area, according to the map, include parts of Ocean, Burlington and Atlantic counties. The report estimates between 62,000 and 86,000 more homes and commercial properties, worth a combined $60 billion, sit in areas with a 1-in-30 chance of hurricane flooding.

There is growing evidence that recent global temperature rise not only increases flooding from any given storm but also changes the intensity, speed, wetness and track of hurricanes and other major storms, the report states.

Recent data suggests the warmer sea-surface temperatures lead to a poleward migration of hurricane activity, which creates additional risk for New Jersey and other mid-Atlantic and northeast states, the report says.

Click here for the full report.

Related article: Report Says Hundreds Of NJ Towns Face Hurricane, Flooding Risk

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