The Tides They Are A Changing

The Super Storm Sandy has changed much more than the landscape ,more than removed boardwalks,more than a roller coaster in the sea. More than the huge devastation of homes some will or will not rebuild . Infrastructure damage, Sandy has changed the tide heights in the back bays , Low tide is no longer low tide and High tide well lets just say it knows no measurement yet . 

I live on Manahawkin bay next to the bridge to Long Beach Island New Jersey . As the clean up progress is still way under way  there is a 800 pound gorilla in the room not being addressed . The tide is higher at high tide and it takes longer to recede . There are no storms in our area yes today its raining a little there is no lunar tide effecting it so why is the tide coming in 1-2 feet higher in areas . 

The fact is there is more ocean coming into the bays and less leaving with also the natural run offs up rivers that feed the estuary's the balance has been changed . 

Local governments are given the task to ask their states for money for flood mitigation . the state then ask Fema or the federal government for the money to fund Flood mitigation programs . Be it raising a entire streets houses to the new flood levels . Purchasing of flood prone homes or coming up with Mitigation plans them selves . 

Heres where the catch comes in there are deadlines for all these programs why ? Im not sure . But like the levees in Louisiana . What is looming over the towns of Ocean county and beyond is this every road near the back bays will now flood more often .

Sewer systems will be overwhelmed more often . Access to some area will be impossible by say emergency crews fire rescue etc. Mail delivery , Routine garbage pick up . School buses not being able to pass some areas . One winter nor east-er in this area which we will be getting .We are not ready for it home's are and will be getting more flood damage this winter that you can count on .. 

Every bulk head needs to be raised on ever city street . Existing roads with bulk heading next to them as well . Flood Mitigation elevation plans need to done now for existing roads and there infrastructure . Man hole covers raised city sewer

pump house control stations raised out of harms way . Like cell phone towers these systems need generators to keep the sewer systems running they don't right now .

Stafford township alone is facing a one to Two million dollar repair bill on there new existing system that was installed just five years ago . Its designed wrong it relies on control stations that are in some locations below sea level . Every man hole on my road is buried under ground they were installed at sea level . Lose one cover the entire system becomes overwhelmed with sea water . 

Currently our areas sewer system including all of Cedar Bonnet island parts of Cedar Fox Island Mallard island are basically working on Gravity at this point the pipes are just basically filling with waste and slowly draining . Railroad ave. the street I live on is now impassible at high tide,any high tide. As are most of the streets in Mud City area and Mallord island areas. 

These areas like the marshs and berrier islands along the coast surronding the causeway are the first line of protection . Neglecting them at this point will come a much larger cost like we saw in .Mantoloking bridge access ramps sweep away and the bridge undermined .

Pictures taken today by iSailimages around the effected areas today at 12:00pm they include avenues abcd in Mud city, Mallord island the wetlands a half a mile inland and Railroad Ave , a picture tells a thousand story's these tell exactly the truth there is global warming our seas are rising and Sandy has changed the face of the back bays forever . Please visit our Sailors for Sandy Site developed out need to protect these very areas and to clean our marshes and protect our wetlands .