NorthJersey. com: North Jersey’s flood protection plans took a key step forward this week as the state announced new contracts totaling nearly $298 million to support two major flood-resilience projects, one in the Meadowlands and another in Hoboken as well as parts of Jersey City and Weehawken.

The Meadowlands communities that will benefit include Little Ferry, Carlstadt, Moonachie, South Hackensack and Teterboro.

Both projects aim to protect these areas from flooding caused by severe storms and rising sea levels, issues tied to worsening climate change impacts. The contracts were announced by Shawn LaTourette, commissioner of the state Department of Environmental Protection, as part of Climate Week, designed to educate the public about climate change and actions to address its impacts.

The Meadowlands project aims to lower the risk of rainfall flooding and accelerate recovery times from storm surge flooding within the Losen Slote Creek watershed in Little Ferry and surrounding towns, according to the DEP.

Response to Superstorm Sandy

Rebuild by Design Meadowlands was created after Superstorm Sandy to reinforce flood resiliency in Little Ferry and nearby towns also hit hard by Sandy in 2012. The storm surge caused the Hackensack River to flood and “took over 70% of the town,” Little Ferry Mayor Mauro Raguseo told NorthJersey.com. Over a decade later, the low-lying and densely populated area remains vulnerable to flooding, especially given the growing impacts of climate change. Read more>>