Rutgers: NJ Not Prepared for Another Sandy

Posted by Anthony Bellano

Rutgers University professors and researchers fear officials are not adequately preparing for future storms like Hurricane Sandy.

Those professors are warning that the state is not taking changes in the climate into account as continues to rebuild in the wake of Sandy. They also worry the most vulnerable portions of the state continue to be the communities affected by last year’s storm, The Press of Atlantic City reports.

Sandy hit the state on Oct. 29 of last year, bringing destruction along most of the Jersey Shore. Communities continue to recover, and officials have plans in place to strengthen dune systems.

However, many of the communities most heavily hit by the storm are not protected by dunes, and researchers fear officials are putting too much emphasis on strengthening these systems, according to The Press of Atlantic City.

These comments were made during a conference held by the recently created Rutgers Climate Institute: “Bridging the Climate Divide: Informing the Response to Hurricane Sandy and Implications for Future Vulnerability,” according to nj.com.

This group discussed what lessons can be taken away from Sandy, and how informed the public and officials are about the reasons behind the storm.

Researchers and professors claim atmospheric changes such as rising sea levels and elevated temperatures in the oceans and the atmosphere may result in future storms similar to that of Superstorm Sandy, according to nj.com.

Researchers projected a rise in sea levels of three and a half feet in the state by the end of the century. This could lead to storms not as strong as Sandy causing similar surges, according to the reports.