More Than 40 NJ Towns Projected To Be Mostly Underwater By 2100, New Analysis Says

A number of New Jersey towns would find themselves mostly underwater - or, at the very least, they could lose thousands of homes - because of rising seas caused by climate change, a new report says.

The analysis predicts more than 40 towns are at risk of being more than 50 percent underwater.

The report released by the real estate site Zillow says that hurricanes do not present the biggest threat to America's homes. The potential for damage from a slower-moving phenomenon could be even more destructive, the report says: Rising sea levels.

The report also was released as the fifth anniversary of Superstorm Sandy approaches. The storm was perhaps the most devastating in the history of New Jersey, nearly destroying towns such as Mantoloking and Sea Bright.

Zillow built on its 2016 analysis of the impact a rising tide could have on U.S. homes, and looked at how many homes might be underwater by the end of the century — and whether those homes are in the top, middle or bottom tier in their areas.

Zillow then calculated the share in urban, suburban and rural areas. Nationally, 1.9 million homes are projected to be literally underwater by the year 2100 if the oceans rise six feet – roughly midway between the high end of what the government says is “very likely,” according to the report

"This scenario could be especially catastrophic for owners of the lowest-valued homes, because lower-income Americans spend a disproportionately large share of their earnings on mortgage payments," according to the report. "For these homeowners in particular, to lose their homes would mean to watch much of their lifetime earnings and overall wealth disappear."

Whole towns could find themselves almost completely underwater - and it wouldn't be just Jersey Shore towns, either. At least 10 towns would lose at least 89 percent of their homes.

Here is the list of towns that would lose the most homes based on percentages (each town is listed with percentage figure):

1. West Wildwood 100
2. Wildwood 99.8
3. Moonachie 99.5
4. Strathmere 96.2
5. Ortley Beach 95.8
6. Longport 95.5
7. North Wildwood 92.1
8. Seaside Heights 89.4
9. Sea Isle City 89.3
10. Margate 89
11. Surf City 87.7
12. Avalon 87.1
13. Ship Bottom 85.9
14. Beach Haven West 83.7
15. Lavallette 82.9
16. Beach Haven 81.7
17. Mantoloking 80.9
18. Long Beach Township 80.7
19. Ocean City 79.4
20. Bay Head 78.8
21. Little Ferry 78.3
22. Stone Harbor 77.8
23. Harvey Cedars 77.6
24. Ocean Gate 76.8
25. Sea Bright 76.1
26. Downe Township 76
27. Atlantic City 73.2
28. Keansburg 72.8
29. Barnegat Light 72.5
30. Ventnor 71.4
31. Seaside Park 68.5
32. Hoboken 64.7
33. Wildwood Crest 64.3
34. Mystic Island 63
35. Diamond Beach 62.8
36. Point Pleasant Beach 62
37. Forked River 56.9
38. Brigantine 56.8
39. West Cape May 56.2
40. Pennsville 53.8
41. Salem 53.2
42. Cape May 51.7
43. Monmouth Beach 49.3
44. Tuckerton 48.7
45. Manasquan 45.3
46. Secaucus 44.2
47. Middle Township 40.1
48. Gibbstown 36.8
49. Port Norris 35.1
50. Lower Alloways Creek 33.5
51. Ocean Township 31.3
52. Bayville 31.1
53. South Hackensack 30.5
54. Union Beach 29.3
55. Carneys Point 27.3
56. Point Pleasant Boro 27.2
57. Penns Grove 27.2
58. Weehawken 26.3
59. Somers Point 26.3
60. Eagleswood 26
61. Lindenhurst 25.9
62. Bass River Township 25.1
63. Oceanport 24.8
64. Maurice River Township 24.4
65. Villas 24.2
66. Logan Township 22.3
67. Stafford Township 21.4
68. Woodlynne 21.3
69. Lacey 21
70. Burlington Township 20.9
71. Toms River 18.2
72. Rumson 16.4
73. Palmyra 16.4
74. National Park 16
75. Paulsboro 15
76. Brick 14.8
77. Berkeley Township 13.8
78. Middletown 13.6
79. Edgewater 12.6
80. Mullica Township 11.6
81. Brielle 11.1
82. Avon 11.1
83. Jersey City 10.2
84. Camden 9.8
85. Long Branch 9.7
86. Little Silver 9.1
87. Little Egg Harbor 8.6
88. Lower Township 8.6
89. Ridgefield Park 8
90. Linwood 7.9
91. Englewood 7.2
92. Upper Township 7.2
93. Egg Harbor Township 6.6
94. Barnegat 6.4
95. Cape May Courthouse 6.1
96. Leonia 5.3
97. Gloucester City 5.1
98. Hackensack 4.9
99. Absecon 4.9
100. Cinnaminson 4.8
101. Hazlet 4.7
102. Pleasantville 4.1
103. Dennis Township 4.1
104. South River 3
105. West Deptford 2.8
106. Sayreville 2.5
107. Delran 2.5
108. Neptune 2.4
109. Kearny 2.3
110. North Bergen 2.1
111. Elizabeth 1.5
112. Newark 1.3
113. Teaneck 1.1
114. Woodbridge 1

These towns would lose the most based on number of homes:

1. Ocean City 9,626
2. Hoboken 8,235
3. Atlantic City 7,638
4. North Wildwood 6,814
5. Toms River 5,980
6. Margate 5,837
7. Sea Isle City 5,717
8. Lavallette 5,476
9. Brigantine 4,857
10. Avalon 4,803
11. Long Beach Township 4,736
12. Wildwood 4,499
13. Brick 4,277
14. Ventnor 4,273
15. Jersey City 4,209
16. Beach Haven West 3,756
17. Lindenhurst 3,287
18. Mystic Island 3,285
19. Berkeley Township 3,188
20. Wildwood Crest 3,071
21. Middletown 2,780
22. Pennsville 2,485
23. Stone Harbor 2,281
24. Ortley Beach 2,200
25. Secaucus 2,101
26. Point Pleasant Boro 2,088
27. Camden 2,087
28. Keansburg 2,079
29. Burlington Township 2,044
30. Surf City 1,915
31. Lacey 1,890
32. Beach Haven 1,835
33. Middle Township 1,813
34. Point Pleasant Beach 1,788
35. Little Ferry 1,735
36. Cape May 1,688
37. Seaside Heights 1,602
38. Ship Bottom 1,575
39. Longport 1,513
40. Forked River 1,477
41. Ocean Township 1,397
42. Villas 1,385
43. Seaside Park 1,381
44. Manasquan 1,317
45. Monmouth Beach 1,009
46. Egg Harbor Township 1,002
47. Somers Point 987
48. Harvey Cedars 945
49. West Wildwood 910
50. Diamond Beach 825
51. Salem 822
52. Weehawken 796
53. Ocean Gate 782
54. Tuckerton 771
55. Sea Bright 760
56. Bay Head 746
57. Long Branch 742
58. Bayville 735
59. Downe Township 733
60. Carneys Point 717
61. Barnegat Light 658
62. Union Beach 622
63. Moonachie 621
64. Oceanport 547
65. Barnegat 541
66. Gibbstown 532
67. Englewood 488
68. West Cape May 462
69. Palmyra 459
70. Little Egg Harbor 435
71. Newark 420
72. Edgewater 417
73. Mantoloking 410
74. Rumson 404
75. Hackensack 399
76. Upper Township 359
77. Strathmere 357
78. Stafford Township 344
79. Penns Grove 343
80. Lower Township 343
81. Maurice River Township 331
82. Hazlet 303
83. Paulsboro 301
84. Cinnaminson 277
85. Neptune 264
86. Ridgefield Park 225
87. Elizabeth 218
88. Brielle 217
89. North Bergen 216
90. Little Silver 212
91. Linwood 207
92. Mullica Township 203
93. Woodbridge 197
94. Pleasantville 195
95. West Deptford 192
96. Gloucester City 188
97. Woodlynne 187
98. Eagleswood 184
99. Port Norris 181
100. National Park 177
101. Lower Alloways Creek 171
102. Kearny 162
103. Absecon 161
104. South Hackensack 159
105. Bass River Township 159
106. Cape May Courthouse 148
107. South River 135
108. Sayreville 133
109. Delran 131
110. Leonia 130
111. Teaneck 121
112. Dennis Township 114
113. Avon 112
114. Logan Township 105

Read the whole report here.

Patch file photo