Cape May, NJ and other South Jersey towns to receive FEMA grants

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has announced that a total of 25 New Jersey projects were selected as part of their Flood Mitigation Assistance Grant Program. Ten of these projects are in Atlantic County and Cape May Counties with a combined $32 million being committed to help South Jersey.

The Flood Mitigation Assistance Grant Program is a FEMA grant program created to help with the funding of projects in local communities including state, county, and federally recognized tribes and territory projects. Each year, applications are submitted for the allocation of funds to be used for projects that reduce or eliminate the risk of repetitive flood damage to buildings insured by the National Flood Insurance Program.

Here are the projects that are receiving FEMA funds in Cape May and Atlantic Counties:

*The Cape May City Seawall project is receiving $24.3 million from the FEMA program to make improvements that are planned along Beach Avenue.  The plan is to make seawall improvements as outlined by the U.S. Army Corp of Engineers.

*The City of Margate is receiving $4.1 Million for the elevation of 22 homes, which represents 75% of the cost to elevate the homes.  Atlantic County and the City of Margate are collaborating on this project that is receiving this grant money from FEMA.

*Atlantic City is receiving grants for two projects: The development of resiliency plans for the Ducktown/Chelsea and Venice Park neighborhoods are each receiving $178,762. Atlantic City has been working on Flood Mitigation for different neighborhoods and last year received funding to develop resiliency plans for Bungalow Park and Chelsea Heights neighborhoods.

*The City of West Wildwood is receiving funding for two projects: $1.9 million for their Living Shoreline project along 26th Street and $162,067 grant for a Borough scoping study which will evaluate how to make the community more resilient to flooding. This funding will allow the West Wildwood Borough to hire an engineering firm for the surveying, mapping, and evaluation of flooding issues along with developing a plan for fixing any issues found and receiving cost estimates for any future projects.

*The City of Longport will receive a grant of $849,375 for Phase Two of the Winchester Avenue Resiliency Project. The plan is to replace old storm sewers and and install new infrastructure on Winchester Avenue, 31st Avenue, and 34th Avenue including larger storm sewer pipes and new inlets. Phase One of the project received a grant of $1,128,750 in 2020 that allowed Longport to upgrade to the existing stormwater pump station at 34th Avenue and the bay along with the construction of a new stormwater pump station at Winchester Avenue and 31st Avenue.

*The Borough of Stone Harbor is receiving funding for two projects: The 93rd Street Flooding Mitigation Plan and the 81st Street Area Flood Mitigation Plan are each receiving $157,500 in order to develop proposals for improvements to each area of the town.  Stone Harbor is looking for long-term flood mitigation solutions for two of the more troublesome areas of the island.

*Somers Point is receiving a grant of $86,250 for Project Scoping for improvements to the Gulph Mill Road Pump Station. This funding will go towards future upgrades to the Pump Station that directly benefit the residential areas of West Laurel Drive and Dogwood Drive along with the Greate Bay Country Club, and the Garden State Parkway.

For more information about the Flood Mitigation Assistance Grant Program along with the Subapplication and Selection process at FEMA, you can visit their website here.