NEW FEMA FLOOD STUDY SHOULD CONCERN ... - Cranford.com

NEW FEMA FLOOD STUDY SHOULD CONCERN CITIZENS
The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) revised the Flood Insurance Study
(FIS) Report and Flood Insurance Rate Map (FIRM). Township representatives met with
FEMA and then prepared a report questioning many points of the study and requested the 90
day appeal period not start until our questions are answered satisfactorily. Well, on July 15,
2004, the 90-day appeal period began.
In June, the Township received a letter from FEMA, stating that the Township’s comments are
currently being reviewed and will be addressed. On July 6, 2004, the Township’s consultants,
Hatch Mott MacDonald, at the Township Engineer’s request, urged FEMA to not publish until
answers to our questions were received, and data provided so our officials could verify their
study findings that the revised 100-year flood is at a significantly higher level than the old,
approved Flood Insurance Study of August 16, 1982, both in terms of flow and area of
inundation.
The Township’s letter to FEMA stated that the impact on the Township of Cranford is
substantial. The proposed flood elevations along significant segments of the Rahway River in
Cranford are highly questionable. In view of the discrepancies that are readily observable
without a high degree of technical evaluation (proposed delineations not following topographic
contours, flood profiles not consistent with known flood marks), premature publication of this
FIS is likely to decrease public confidence in the more technical aspects of the study and
undermine the credibility of the final FEMA flood delineations. This would only make more
work for FEMA and the Township.
Well, residents of this fine community, the statutory 90-day clock is now ticking and cannot be
extended. Any appeals have to be based on knowledge or information indicating that the
proposed base flood elevations (BFEs), (in layman’s terms, this is the maximum flooding in
your area), are scientifically or technically incorrect.
Is this fair? How could you know or prove that the BFEs are scientifically or technically
incorrect? In fact, how can the Township officials know, when they have yet to receive the
requested data and answers to their earlier concerns from FEMA?
There may be over 650 new properties that would be impacted by this new Flood Insurance
Study (FIS) if the maps and study are approved as presented. With the Township
Commissioners approval, the Engineering Department has prepared a list of these properties
that would be impacted.
We strongly urge you contact FEMA, your state and federal representatives and address your
concerns and comments about this new Flood Insurance Study (FIS). (Contact address listed
below.) These revised flood elevations may put your property in the flood plain and may result
in you having to obtain flood insurance or pay more for flood insurance. Please provide the
Township Engineering Department a copy of your correspondence, so that we can also develop
a record.

A list of the new properties that may be impacted by this new Flood Insurance Study, by street
numbers, are listed below. A map of the preliminary added flood zones is on display at the
Township Municipal Building, 8 Springfield Avenue, for your review, along with a more
detailed report of this article.
Your Township officials are also working on this, and as of July 26, 2004, we have not
received any answers to our concerns. These concerns will also be posted with the maps for
your review. If you have any questions specifically for the Township Engineering Department,
please send a letter to Mr. Marsden or e-mail him at R-Marsden@CranfordNJ.org. Please
identify the subject as New FEMA Flood Study Concerns. The Engineering Department
would love to talk to you. However, we are quite busy, and would prefer a letter or e-mail.
Thank you for your time and patience in this matter.
FEMA CONTACTS:
Michael Dabney, Director
Federal Insurance and Mitigation Division of FEMA
U.S. Department of Homeland Security
26 Federal Plaza, Room 1337
New York, New York 10278
Or FEMA Map Assistance Center (877) 336-2027
N.J. 108 th CONGRESS CONTACTS:
Richard A. Marsden, Jr., PE, PP, PLS
Township Engineer
Senators: The Honorable Jon Corzine
Gateway One, 11 th Floor
Newark, NJ 07102 (973) 645-3030
7 th District Representative:
The Honorable Frank Lautenberg
1 Gateway Center, 23 rd Floor
Newark, NJ 07102 (973) 639-8700
The Honorable Michael A. Ferguson
N.J. District Office
792 Chimney Rock Road
Martinsville, NJ 08836 (908) 757-7835

LIST OF PROPERTIES IMPACTED
Baldwin Ct.: #2
Bargos Pl.: #5
Belmont Ave.: #101
Berkeley Pl.: #3-6
Blake Ave.: #3, 5, 31, 33, 35, 37, 39
Brookdale Pl.: #32, 34, 36, 42-47
Brookside Pl.: #715, 720
Brown Ter.: #2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 12, 14, 16, 18
Burnside Ave.: #32, 34, 36, 38, 40, 42, 44, 46, 48, 50, 56
Casino Ave..: #307-312, 316, 317, 320, 406
Central Ave.: #102, 104, 211, 215, 217, 219, 306, 308, 402, 404, 406, 408, 500-502, 504, 506,
507, 509, 511
Claremont Pl.: 114, 207, 209, 211, 214, 400, 402
Columbia Ave.: #9, 11, 15, 17, 21, 23, 24, 26, 28, 30-38, 100-102, 104
County Park Dr., #109, 111, 115, 117, 119, 121, 123, 125, 127
Craig Pl.: #3-5, 7-9, 11, 12, 16, 20, 24, 27-29, 32, 33, 36, 37, 40, 41
Doering Way: #1-6, 8
Dunham Ave., #11, 15, 17, 17A, 19, 21, 24, 25, 27, 28, 30-32\
Eastman St.: #145, 149
Edgewood Rd., #113, 115
Elmora Ave., #6, 31, 100-112, 115, 1l7
Forest Ave.: #11, 15, 101, 103, 105, 109, 111, 117
Frazer Pl.: #1, 4, 7, 9, 10, 12, 14
Hamilton Ave.: #1-A
Hampton Rd.: #7, 9, 21
Hampton St.: #1, 5, 6, 9, 11, 13, 15, 19, 101, 103, 109, 209, 211
Harvard Rd.: #1, 3, 5, 7, 9-12, 15, 17-19, 36, 38
Henley Ave.: #31, 33, 35, 37, 45, 49
Herning Ave.: #1, 3-30, 33-40, 100-130, 132
Holly St. W.: #2-7, 9, 11-14, 19-21, 23, 25, 27-34, 36, 38, 101, 109, 111, 115, 203, 207, 209,
211, 215, 217, 219
Johnson Ave.: 43-54, 57, 79, 81, 83
Kenilworth Blvd.: #96, 98, 100, 102, 104, 106, 108, 110, 112, 114, 116, 118, 120
Lafayette Pl.: #102
LaSalle Ave.: #1-23
Lincoln Ave. E.: 310, 312, 314, 316
Linden Pl.: #601, 605, 724, 725, 728
Locust Dr.: #20-25, 27, 173, 175, 177
Manor Ave.: #209, 211, 299, 301-318, 320-322, 324-333, 400, 401
Maple Pl.: #104, 105, 109, 201, 303-305
Munsee Dr.: #7, 9, 11, 13, 15, 17, 19, 21, 23, 25, 27, 29, 31, 33, 35, 37, 39, 41, 43
Nomahegan Ct.: #2-4, 6, 8, 10, 12, 14, 16, 18
Normandie Pl.: #2, 60, 64
North Ave. E.: #39-45, 184, 186, 190 (1A, 1B, 2, 3), 192, 194, 198

Oak Lane: #1-24, 100-107, 109, 111, 113
Orange Ave.: #7, 9, 101-116, 204, 206, 208, 210, 219, 301, 303, 305-308, 409, 411, 417, 419
Orchard St.: #9, 11, 201, 207, 215, 221, 222, 225
Pawnee Rd.: #102
Penn Rd.: #4, 10, 12, 14, 16, 18
Pine St.: #1, 2, 3
Pittsfield St.: #4, 6, 8, 11, 13, 20, 26
Prospect Ave.: #200, 202, 204, 206, 208, 210, 217
Richmond Ave.: #38, 40, 42, 44, 46
Ridge St.: #102, 104, 106, 108-116
Riverside Dr.: #4, 6, 8, 22, 121, 123, 126, 127, 298, 300, 305, 307, 401, 403, 405, 407, 420
Romore Pl.: #3, 10, 11, 15-17
Rutgers Rd.: #1, 2
South Ave. E.: #299
Springfield Ave.: #8, 18, 24, 30, 300, 304, 306, 320, 501, 503, 504, 506, 508, 512, 605, 607,
609, 700-711, 713, 715, 717, 719, 801, 803, 805, 807, 809-812, 814-818, 995,
1101, 1107, 1109
Spring Garden St.: #4-8, 10, 12, 16, 18
Summit Rd.: #5
Sylvester St.: #1, 3, 5, 7
Tulip St.: #711, 713, 715
Union Ave. N.: #124, 203, 205
Walnut Ave.: #307, 311, 329, 331, 333, 335, 337, 339, 341, 343, 345, 347
West End Pl.: #204, 301, 303-4, 801, 803
Willow St.: #1, 3, 5-12, 15, 604, 706, 710, 712, 716, 720
Wood Pl.: #6, 8
Yale Ter.: #7, 17, 19, 21