The dramatic increase in the number of recent flooding incidents in New Jersey raises important questions about where development should occur and how to plan and prepare for these events. As floodplain maps change, so do regulatory and design considerations, not to mention the added insurance risks to redeveloping in these locations. This session will look at current weather trends and how they will affect redeveloping communities, as well as explore innovative approaches to stormwater management, with a spotlight on Philadelphia’s Green Infrastructure Plan.

1. Recent NJ Flooding:
a weather/climate perspective
Dr. David A. Robinson
Professor, Dept. Geography
New Jersey State Climatologist
Panel on
Treating Flooding as the “New
Normal”
Redevelopment Forum 2012
New Jersey Future
March 9, 2012

2. Summing up
1. Increased NJ precipitation of late
- annual
- extreme events?
2. Increased flooding of late
3. Beginning to experience a “new normal”?
4. Potential of future increases in:
precipitation
extreme events
flooding

3. A
precipitation
rich state……
……most often

4. However
sometimes
too little……
Spruce Run Reservoir: March 2002
Pinelands: Delaware River: November 1963
May 2007

5. Too often of
late too much

6. Irene rainfall:
station
observations

7. Irene:
NJ river
flooding

8. Manville, NJ

9. Lincoln Park, NJ
Paterson, NJ

10. Kinnelon, NJ

13. Again and again and again...............
Manville, NJ: August 28, 2011 (2PM EDT)

14. Millstone River,
Manville, NJ
September 17, 1999
March 14, 2010
April 16, 2007

15. Peak Annual Flow Raritan

16. Delaware River
Easton, PA, August 1955
Trenton train station, September 23, 1882
Easton-Phillipsburg
Bridge: June 2006
September 2004

17. Peak Annual Flow Delaware

19. March
Passaic
2011
Basin

20. Peak Annual Flow Passaic

21. New Jersey's future climate
 Rising temperatures
 Steady or increasing precipitation
 Increasing variability and extremes
- storms, flood, drought, heat…….
 Rising sea level

22. Warmer
↓
More
Precipitation
Warmer
↓
More
Evaporation

23. http://climate.rutgers.edu/njwxnet
NJ Weather & Climate Network

24. Community Collaborative Rain, Hail and Snow
(CoCoRaHS) network:
http://cocorahs.org

26. Summing up
1. Increased NJ precipitation of late
- annual
- extreme events?
2. Increased flooding of late
3. Beginning to experience a “new normal”?
4. Potential of future increases in:
precipitation
extreme events
flooding

27. Thank you
http://climate.rutgers.edu/stateclim