>> Sreenivasan: SEA LEVELS WILL
RISE BETWEEN ONE AND FOUR FEET
BY THE END OF THE CENTURY.
THAT'S ACCORDING TO THE NATIONAL
CLIMATE ASSESSMENT RELEASED LAST
YEAR.
THAT RISE, ALONG WITH DAMAGE
CAUSED BY AN INCREASED NUMBER OF
STORMS AND HURRCIANES, COULD BE
CATASTROPHIC FOR PEOPLE LIVING
IN FLOOD-PRONE AREAS.
NEARLY 41 MILLION AMERICANS BY
ONE ESTIMATE.
IN NEW JERSEY, CLOSE TO 700,000
PEOPLE LIVE IN A FLOOD ZONE.
NOW, THE STATE, AS NEWSHOUR
WEEKEND'S EVETTE FELICIANO
REPORTS, IS INVOLVED IN TRYING
TO MOVE SOME OF THOSE PEOPLE OUT
OF HARM'S WAY.
THIS SEGMENT AIRS AS PART OF OUR
ONGOING SERIES ON CLIMATE CHANGE
"PERIL AND PROMISE."
>> THIS IS THE BIG WOODBRIDGE
RIVER HERE.
THIS IS MY PROPERTY.
>> Reporter: BEFORE SHE MOVED
FOUR YEARS AGO, 72-YEAR-OLD
EVELYN YORK SPENT NEARLY HER
ENTIRE LIFE IN WOODBRIDGE
TOWNSHIP, A WORKING-CLASS
COMMUNITY OF ABOUT 100,000
PEOPLE IN NORTHERN NEW JERSEY.
A SINGLE MOTHER TO TWO CHILDREN,
SHE OWNED HER HOME IN WOODBRIDGE
FOR NEARLY 40 YEARS.
WHAT DID THAT MEAN TO YOU, TO
OWN THAT HOME?
>> AS A SINGLE PARENT SINCE I
WAS 33, YOU HAVE MONEY TO PAY
YOUR BILLS, BUT YOU REALLY DON'T
HAVE A SAVINGS ACCOUNT.
SO, THE ONLY THING I HAD TO
LEAVE MY KID, SO I THOUGHT,
WOULD BE MY HOUSE.
>> Reporter: BUT OVER THE YEARS,
WHAT STARTED AS A MINOR NUISANCE
IN HER NEIGHBORHOOD BECAME A
REGULAR HAZARD: FLOODING.
>> I WOULD ALWAYS HAVE A BAG
PACKED-- ALWAYS-- BECAUSE I
NEVER KNEW IF I HAD TO LEAVE AT
A MOMENT'S NOTICE TO MOVE MY CAR
TO HIGHER GROUND.
AND I DID THAT FOR YEARS AND
YEARS AND YEARS.
>> Reporter: SEVERAL RIVERS RUN
THROUGH WOODBRIDGE.
TWO LARGE ONES BORDER THE
TOWNSHIP AND EMPTY INTO THE
ATLANTIC OCEAN.
CLIMATE CHANGE HAS CONTRIBUTED
TO MORE FREQUENT AND SEVERE
STORMS AND SUBSEQUENT FLOODING
HERE.
ABOUT 19% OF WOODBRIDGE LIES
WITHIN A FEMA SPECIAL FLOOD
HAZARD AREA.
JOHN McCORMAC IS THE MAYOR OF
WOODBRIDGE.
>> WE WERE SUBJECT TO A LOT OF
TIDAL FLOODING.
THAT'S A PROBLEM WITHOUT EVEN
ANY RAIN.
YOU THROW RAIN, YOU THROW
HURRICANES, YOU THROW THESE, YOU
KNOW, 100-YEAR STORMS ON TOP OF
THAT.
I'’VE BEEN MAYOR FOR 12 YEARS,
AND I THINK I'VE HAD FIVE 100-
YEAR STORMS.
>> Reporter: MAYOR McCORMAC SAYS
THE TOWNSHIP ASKED THE
FEDERAL GOVERNMENT FOR FUNDS TO
BUILD FLOOD WALLS BUT WAS
ULTIMATELY TURNED DOWN.
THE ARMY CORPS OF ENGINEERS SAID
THE NEW INFRASTRUCTURE WAS "NOT
PRACTICAL DUE TO LIMITED COST-
EFFECTIVENESS."”
THE HEIGHT OF WOODBRIDGE'S FLOOD
DAMAGE OCCURRED IN 2012, WHEN
SUPERSTORM SANDY INUNDATED THE
AREA WITH UP TO 12.5 FEET OF
WATER.
MONIQUE COLEMAN, A FORMER
NEIGHBOR OF EVELYN YORK'S,
REMEMBERS SANDY'’S DEVASTATION.
>> IT WAS THE SAME THING OVER
AGAIN.
YOU KNOW, WE WERE REPEATING THE
CYCLE OF, YOU KNOW, WATER JUST
ENGULFING THE WHOLE AREA AND
THEN LEAVING IN ITS WAKE JUST
DEVASTATION OUTSIDE AND WITHIN.
I MEAN, YOU CAN SEE HOW THE
WATER JUST INUNDATES THE STREET.
>> Reporter: COLEMAN AND HER
NEIGHBORS FOUND THEIR HOME
VALUES PLUMMETING WHILE THEIR
FLOOD INSURANCE PREMIUMS
SKYROCKETED.
AS THEY ASSESSED THEIR OPTIONS,
THEY HEARD ABOUT A STATE-RUN
PROGRAM CALLED BLUE ACRES.
>> AND WE FOUND OUT ABOUT THAT
PROGRAM AND THE FACT THAT THEY
WERE MAKING IT AVAILABLE FOR
COMMUNITIES LIKE OURS.
IMMEDIATELY, I WAS LIKE, "THIS
IS SOMETHING WE NEED TO PURSUE."
>> Reporter: BLUE ACRES' MISSION
IS TO BUY UP HOUSES FROM
HOMEOWNERS IN FLOOD ZONES,
DEMOLISH THEM, AND THEN REZONE
THE LAND SO THAT NOTHING ELSE
CAN BE BUILT THERE.
IT'S RUN BY NEW JERSEY'S
DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL
PROTECTION.
FAWN McGEE IS THE PROGRAM'S
DIRECTOR.
>> WE BUY THE HOMES AT PRE-STORM
VALUE.
IT ALLOWS FOLKS TO SELL US THEIR
HOME, TAKE THE PROCEEDS OF THAT
SALE, MOVE TO HIGHER GROUND.
WE DEMOLISH THE HOMES AND THEN
OPEN UP THAT AREA AS OPEN SPACE,
CONSERVATION LAND, AS FLOOD
ABSORPTION.
>> Reporter: THAT NEW OPEN SPACE
WILL ABSORB FLOOD WATERS,
WHICH MEANS AREAS FURTHER IN
WILL BE PROTECTED FROM RISING
WATER LEVELS.
THE BLUE ACRES PROGRAM ALSO
ENSURES THAT LESS STATE AND
FEDERAL FUNDS WILL BE SPENT ON
RESCUE, CLEAN-UP, AND REBUILDING
FROM FUTURE FLOODS.
BLUE ACRES ORIGINALLY BEGAN IN
1995 WITH A $30 MILLION VOTER-
APPROVED BOND.
THAT MONEY WAS INITIALLY USED TO
BUY 126 HOMES IN SEVERAL TOWNS
ALONG THE PASSAIC RIVER, ABOUT
30 MILES NORTH OF WOODBRIDGE.
BUT AFTER SUPERSTORM SANDY, THE
PROGRAM EXPANDED.
IT'S RECEIVED OVER $300 MILLION
IN FEDERAL FUNDS FROM THE
DEPARTMENT OF HOUSING AND URBAN
DEVELOPMENT AND THE FEDERAL
EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT AGENCY.
WITH THIS FUNDING, THE BLUE
ACRES STAFF HAS BOUGHT 683
PROPERTIES IN TOWNS AND CITIES
ALL OVER THE STATE.
THEY'RE HOPING TO BUY 265 MORE
SOON.
McGEE SAYS THAT EVEN IF THEY DO
BUY THOSE HOUSES, THERE ARE
STILL THOUSANDS OF NEW JERSEY
HOMES THAT ARE REPEATEDLY
FLOODED.
>> WE'VE GOT THOUSANDS AND
THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE THAT ARE ON
THE NATIONAL FLOOD INSURANCE
PROGRAMS' REPETITIVE LOSS LIST
AND SEVERE REPETITIVE LOSS LIST.
SO, THERE'S... THERE'S MORE
PEOPLE THAT WE CAN GET TO THAT
ARE OUT THERE IN THESE AFFECTED
AREAS.
>> Reporter: McGEE SAYS THAT IN
ORDER TO GET THE MOST OUT OF
THEIR FUNDING, BLUE ACRES ONLY
DOES BUYOUTS IN AREAS WHERE
MULTIPLE HOMEOWNERS AGREE TO
TAKE PART.
IF ENOUGH HOUSEHOLDS APPLY FOR A
BUYOUT, McGEE AND HER STAFF ASK
THE MUNICIPAL GOVERNMENT'’S
PERMISSION TO BEGIN WORKING IN
THE COMMUNITY.
MONIQUE COLEMAN AND OTHERS IN
WOODBRIDGE LOBBIED THEIR
NEIGHBORS AND THE LOCAL
GOVERNMENT TO BRING THE PROGRAM
TO THE TOWNSHIP.
>> WE KNEW THAT THE BUYOUT WAS
REALLY OUR ONLY WAY TO GET OUT
AND ALSO PREVENT OTHERS FROM
HAVING TO GO THROUGH THE CYCLE
AGAIN.
>> Reporter: COLEMAN ALSO BEGAN
A GRASSROOTS MOVEMENT TO EDUCATE
HER NEIGHBORS ABOUT THE BUYOUT
PROCESS, BUT CONVINCING MANY OF
THEM WAS AN UPHILL STRUGGLE.
>> THEY WEREN'T AS IN TUNE WITH,
YOU KNOW, CLIMATE CHANGE AND SEA
LEVEL RISE.
THE STATE REALLY WANTED TO SEE
COMMUNITIES BUY IN, NOT JUST ONE
HOME HERE AND ANOTHER HOME
THERE.
AND THAT MEANT THAT WE NEEDED
EVERYONE ELSE TO SORT OF...
OR AT LEAST MOST OF OUR
NEIGHBORS TO... TO BUY IN TO THE
BUYOUT.
>> I WAS COMPLAINING AND IN THE
NEWSPAPER--
>> Reporter: EVELYN YORK DIDN'T
WANT TO SELL.
>> I WAS TOTALLY, TOTALLY
AGAINST IT.
THAT'’S MY HOME.
38 YEARS.
WHERE I RAISED MY KIDS.
I WAS NOT GOING ANYWHERE.
NOWHERE.
>> Reporter: BUT HER THINKING
CHANGED WHEN SHE LEARNED THAT
HER HOME'S VALUE HAD NOSE-DIVED
BECAUSE OF THE FLOODING.
>> I CALLED A REAL ESTATE AGENT
IN TO GET THE VALUE OF MY HOME.
HE SAID, "YOU BETTER TAKE
WHATEVER YOU CAN AND RUN."”
>> Reporter: OVER THE PAST SIX
YEARS, 160 WOODBRIDGE HOMEOWNERS
HAVE SOLD THEIR HOUSES TO BLUE
ACRES, THE LARGEST CONCENTRATION
OF BUYOUTS IN THE PROGRAM'S
HISTORY.
MOST OF THESE HOMES HAVE BEEN
DEMOLISHED, LEAVING EMPTY
PATCHES AROUND THE STRUCTURES
THAT STILL REMAIN.
BUT EVEN HOUSES OUTSIDE OF
WOODBRIDGE'S CURRENT FLOOD ZONES
ARE IN DANGER AS FLOOD WATERS
RISE DUE TO INCREASED STORM
ACTIVITY.
SO, THE TOWNSHIP HAS DECIDED TO
TURN THE NEW OPEN SPACE INTO A
NATURAL FLOODPLAIN, WHICH WILL
ABSORB FUTURE FLOOD WATERS
BEFORE THEY CAN REACH ANY MORE
HOMES.
>> IT'S A VERY COORDINATED,
STRUCTURED APPROACH TO RESTORE
EVERYTHING TO THE RIGHT LOOK AND
THE RIGHT ECOLOGICAL SYSTEM.
YOU HAVE TO PLAN IT, AND YOU
HAVE TO HAVE THE EXPERTS WHO
KNOW WHAT THEY'RE DOING TO SET
THE WHOLE THING UP.
>> Reporter: WOODBRIDGE HAS
PARTNERED WITH RUTGERS, THE
STATE UNIVERSITY OF NEW JERSEY,
TO MAKE THE LAND ECOLOGICALLY
SUITED FOR FLOOD WATER STORAGE.
DR. BROOKE MASLO IS A RUTGERS
ECOLOGIST AND IS HEADING UP THE
RESTORATION EFFORTS IN
WOODBRIDGE.
>> WE'VE REMOVED ABOUT THREE
ACRES OF ROADS IN THIS
NEIGHBORHOOD.
WE'VE PLANTED ABOUT 1,000 NATIVE
TREES AND SHRUBS, WHICH WE'VE
ALSO PROTECTED FROM DEER.
WE HAVE INSTALLED ABOUT THREE
ACRES OF WARM SEASON MEADOW.
AND WE'’VE DONE QUITE A BIT OF
INVASIVE SPECIES MANAGEMENT.
>> Reporter: MASLO SAYS THAT NEW
PLANTINGS WILL HELP SOFTEN THE
SOIL SO THAT IT CAN ABSORB MORE
WATER.
THE NEW TREES WILL ALSO HELP TO
PHYSICALLY SLOW DOWN FLOOD
WATERS, WHICH WILL HELP PROTECT
NOT JUST THE REMAINING HOMES IN
WOODBRIDGE, BUT SURROUNDING
TOWNS AND CITIES, AS WELL.
NOT EVERYONE IN WOODBRIDGE'S
FLOOD ZONES HAS TAKEN A BUYOUT.
ONE HOMEOWNER WE SPOKE WITH WHO
REFUSED TO SELL SAID THAT BLUE
ACRES SIMPLY DIDN'T OFFER ENOUGH
MONEY.
OTHERS DON'T WANT TO LEAVE THE
PLACE THEY'’VE CALLED "“HOME"” FOR
SO LONG.
SOME PEOPLE MIGHT LOOK AT WHAT
WOODBRIDGE IS DOING AND CALL IT
RETREAT.
WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT THAT?
>> I THINK IT'’S AN ATTACK.
I MEAN, WE'RE ATTACKING THE
PROBLEM, AND WE'RE MAKING THE
QUALITY OF LIFE BETTER FOR THE
REST OF OUR COMMUNITY BY DOING
THIS.
THE HOUSES THAT WERE ON THE
FRINGE NOW ARE IN MUCH BETTER
SHAPE NEAR THE ZONE THAN THEY
WERE BEFORE.
>> IT IS NOT A DEFEAT.
IT'’S... IT'S A WAY OF ADAPTING.
THE... THE LANDSCAPE ADAPTS AND
WILL CONTINUE TO ADAPT AND
CHANGE TO... TO THE CLIMATE
AND... AND HOW THE CLIMATE IS
CHANGING.
AND... AND WE AS A SOCIETY HAVE
TO DO THE SAME THING.
>> Reporter: MONIQUE COLEMAN,
WHO NOW LIVES TEN MILES
SOUTHWEST OF WOODBRIDGE IN
HIGHLAND PARK, SAYS THAT SELLING
HER HOME TO BLUE ACRES RATHER
THAN TO ANOTHER HOMEOWNER WAS A
MORAL DECISION AS MUCH AS A
FINANCIAL ONE.
>> THERE IS NO WAY THAT I COULD
ETHICALLY SELL THE HOUSE,
KNOWING THAT I WOULD JUST BE
PERPETUATING AN ONGOING FLOODING
SITUATION AND PUTTING SOMEONE
ELSE IN THAT SITUATION.
I WOULDN'’T WISH THAT ON ANYBODY.
>> I LOVE MY KITCHEN, AND I LOVE
THE WHOLE HOUSE.
>> Reporter: EVELYN YORK NOW
LIVES TEN MILES SOUTH OF
WOODBRIDGE IN SAYREVILLE, NEW
JERSEY, IN A HOUSE HER SON-IN-
LAW RESTORED FOR HER.
SHE SAYS SHE HAS NO REGRETS.
>> I LOVE THE RAIN NOW.
I LOVE THE RAIN.
FOR 38 YEARS, WHEN IT RAINED, I
WOULD BE UPSET.
I'’M LOOKING OUT THE WINDOW.
NOW, WHEN IT'S RAINING, I'M SO
HAPPY.
IT'S LIKE, "OH, GOOD, I'M GOING
TO MAKE A PIE.
MAYBE I'LL BAKE SOMETHING IN
THE..." I LOVE THE RAIN.
