New Brunswick, N.J. (Oct. 14, 2020) – Rutgers coastal expert Vanessa Dornisch is available for interviews on 10 steps residents can take to prepare for sea-level rise and adapt to increased coastal flooding.
Dornisch, coastal training program coordinator at the Rutgers-managed Jacques Cousteau National Estuarine Research Reserve in Tuckerton, New Jersey, can also discuss how government agencies and other organizations are helping coastal communities address those issues.
“Flooding is a challenge in many coastal communities,” Dornisch said. “Whether flooding is coming from a river, marsh, bay or ocean, residents can take steps to adapt to flooding, reduce damages and recover more quickly from flood events. These actions range from very simple, like keeping storm drains clear of debris, to more complex, like elevating your home. But the first step is to understand your flood risk and make a plan.”
Here are 10 ways to adapt to coastal flooding, each with a basic resource:
- Accept change (NJ Climate Change Resource Center)
- Know your FEMA flood zone (FEMA Flood Map Service Center)
- Understand your flood risk (NJ Flood Mapper)
- Consider flood insurance (National Flood Insurance Program)
- Prepare yourself (NJ Office of Emergency Management)
- Prepare your home (Mitigation for Homeowners Fact Sheet)
- Follow building regulations (NJ Division of Land Resource Protection)
- Let the rain sink in (Jersey-Friendly Yards)
- Be a good neighbor (Whole-Community Coastal Resilience Planning)
- Get involved (Coastal Restoration Toolkit)
Dornisch is scheduled to present a live, one-hour interactive session – “Earth Day, Every Day: Ten Ways to Adapt to Coastal Flooding” – at 6:30 p.m. on Monday, Oct. 19, as part of a free Rutgers Cooperative Extension series.
To interview Dornisch and get a PDF of her “Ten Ways to Adapt to Coastal Flooding” presentation, contact Todd Bates at todd.bates@rutgers.edu
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Broadcast interviews: Rutgers University has broadcast-quality TV and radio studios available for remote live or taped interviews with Rutgers experts. For more information, contact Neal Buccino at neal.buccino@echo.rutgers.edu
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