MIDDLETOWN — With the aftermath of Hurricane Irene still evident along the coastline, Port Monmouth residents can expect some preventive relief in the future.
Rep. Frank Pallone (D-6th District) announced on Dec. 15 that funding for beach replenishment in Port Monmouth is included in the fiscal year 2012 spending bill approved by the House of Representatives.
The bill provides $2.94 million for the project, which adds to the $3.4 million Pallone has already secured.
“When the House decides whether or not they’re going to fund this kind of project, they do a cost/benefit analysis. They ask, ‘What would it cost if this isn’t there, in terms of FEMA [Federal Emergency Management Agency] and the federal government declaring a disaster,” Pallone said in a Dec. 20 interview.
“The idea is to save money that would be required to put everything back in place in absence of the sand. It’s really strictly on that basis, figuring if it’s going to cost more in the long run if we don’t do it.”
According to FEMA statistics, the agency has paid more than $52 million to more than 3,000 Hurricane Irene disaster claimants. On average, a claimant has received about $17,000.
Pallone said the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers would begin work on the project in the fall.
“The idea is [for] coastal storm surge protection. Even though it’s [near] Sandy Hook, a larger storm like Hurricane Irene can still lead to coastal storm damage and coastal flooding,” said Chris Gardner, a spokesman for the New York District of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, on Dec. 19.
“Renourishment, adding that buffer on the beach, will add additional mitigation.”
The effects of Hurricane Irene, which caused severe flooding and washouts throughout Middletown — especially in Port Monmouth — were kept in mind when lobbying for the beach replenishment funding, Pallone said.
“The idea is to prevent further flooding and protect the homes and infrastructure. This would be the beach replenishment part of it, but that would be eventually followed by a flood control program,” he said.
“The beach is seriously eroded now. [Replenishment] is a protective thing for the area beyond. If you continue to have beach erosion, there’s more danger if you have a hurricane. The homes and other areas upland from the beach are not protected. That’s the major thing,” Pallone added.
Contact Mike Davis at [email protected].