This week marks four years since winter storm Jonas that brought the most severe flooding in New Jersey in our lifetime. I’ve read anecdotal comments that New York City was “shut down”, and that almost all of Ocean City was flooded.
Here at Money Island almost all of our land was underwater on January 23, 2016. The depth of water at our highest points was astounding. Our marina work truck, a 1984 Ford 350, was parked just outside Bruce’s trailer. It barely escaped being ruined. My elevated tool shed flooded for the first time and so I elevated it further and built an access ramp the following spring.
We know that it will happen again. I feel a little better prepared each time. We still have preparations to make: a ramp of last resort and more elevated vehicle parking. Yet I have the confidence to say that storm flooding will not be a major impediment to the sustainability of Money Island for the remainder of my life. The only real threat remaining after the removal of the majority of residents is government. Government’s actions or inactions in preserving the road and litigating again property owners of partially flooded lots will determine our future.
