SPRING LAKE HEIGHTS — The borough council adopted a measure that replaces their floodplain ordinance with a new version containing strengthened building-code rules for designing and constructing structures in flood hazard areas during their executive meeting on June 6.
The revision is mandated for towns in high-risk flood zones across the country by the DEP’s Division of Resilience Engineering and Construction; It establishes new flood hazard maps for participation in the National Flood Insurance Program [NFIP].
Towns in areas the DEP determines to be high-risk flood zones, including Spring Lake Heights and many others in Monmouth County, had until June 15 to adopt these ordinances or risk losing federally subsidized flood insurance coverage known as the National Flood Insurance Program [NFIP].
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“If you own a house and you’re in a flood zone, and you experience a flood that damages your house, you have to have this special flood insurance under the NFIP that your homeowner’s insurance doesn’t cover,” said Dennis A. Collins, attorney for Spring Lake Heights.
The DEP determined on Tuesday that changes made by the borough to adhere to their updated requirements are acceptable, ensuring residents retain access to the NFIP.
For the residents of Spring Lake Heights, adhering to the construction regulations could mean the difference of thousands of dollars in insurance payments.
“The new construction techniques make the buildings more resilient to flood, thus reducing the exposure of the insurance company to pay damages. It ensures modern houses are built better against floods,” said Mr. Collins.
Mr. Collins describes changes made to the building codes as “Insignificant” but emphasizes the importance of stringent construction codes for municipalities in high-risk flood areas.
“There’s nothing that I saw significant in the three towns I represent; none of our floodplain administrators noticed anything significantly different. The towns are doing the right thing, we got under the deadline, but it’s not like anyone is freaked out over it,” said Mr. Collins.
“It’s an appropriate thing to do; you can’t just keep building homes and having all those claims made. You have to build them right.”
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