North Wildwood works with DEP on Flood Mitigation Project

PRESS RELEASE

NORTH WILDWOOD – The City of North Wildwood is currently working with the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (NDEP) on a Flood Hazard Mitigation project to construct a pump-station in the city's Olde New Jersey/Spruce Avenue parking lot, adjacent and through the Seawall.

The pump-station will alleviate flooding along the city's emergency access route. The project will consist of upgrading a large portion of the storm drainage system, and replacing several storm water outfall lines that currently empty onto the inlet beach.

The pump-station project will also include a gravity system that will drain normal amounts of storm water during normal rain and minor flooding events, and the pump system will enable the drainage of more severe rain and flooding events.

The pump system will be activated automatically during major coastal flooding events to ensure that Central Avenue/Spruce Avenue/Anglesea Drive/New Jersey Avenue remain accessible. There is only one emergency access route out of North Wildwood, and one of the three (3) off of the island of the Wildwoods. It is imperative that this route remain accessible not only for the residents/home owners of the Wildwoods, but also for our emergency response vehicles, such as ambulances and fire engines during potential mass casualty events.

The pumps themselves will be below ground level and placed adjacent to the seawall at Olde New Jersey Avenue. The pumps will be powered by electricity and will have a backup generator in the evnet of loss of power. The generator will be constructed in the municipal parking lot that abuts Old New Jersey Avenue.

"I would like to personally thank the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP) for awarding North Wildwood the $10,000,000.00 Flood Resiliency Grant, which is historic in that it is the largest sum of any grant awarded to the city," said Mayor Patrick Rosenello.

"This grant will help prevent flood damage; and keep the only entrance and exit into town (NJ147/North Wildwood Boulevard) open in a major flooding event or emergency."