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Summary
<p>New Jersey is on track to lose BILLIONS of dollars because of flooding over the next few decades. Why? Because the infrastructure we rely on today was not built to withstand tomorrow’s storms.</p>
<p>According to a <a href="https://rebuildbydesign.org/new-jersey/?utm_source=Master+Contact+Sheet&utm_campaign=cfdd9f2988-February+2017+Newsletter_COPY_01&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_96d3bf4fc1-cfdd9f2988-578300784&mc_cid=cfdd9f2988&mc_eid=2b0d15f635">recent report</a>, by 2050, 1 in 3 public assets - including schools and hospitals - will be in flood zones. If we don't act now, New Jersey could face nearly $6 billion in annual budget losses - meaning even less funding for schools, transit, healthcare, and tax relief.</p>
<p><strong>The Cost of Inaction:</strong></p>
<p>Flooding isn’t just dangerous, it’s also costly. And the costs don’t just disappear, they hit you.</p>
<ul>
<li>Higher property taxes, insurance, and utility bills</li>
<li>Communities lose out on local tax revenue, which is critical to support schools and other essential services</li>
<li>Life-threatening floodwaters cause millions of dollars in damages to homes and businesses, plus carry pollution into our drinking water</li>
</ul>
<p>At a time when FEMA disaster relief funding is being slashed, New Jersey cannot afford to wait around for a federal bailout that may never come.</p>
<p><strong>The Solution: The REAL Rules</strong></p>
<p>That’s why New Jersey adopted the REAL rules in January 2026. REAL stands for Resilient Environments and Landscapes, and it updates regulations that influence how we plan and build in flood-prone areas. In practice, that means: </p>
<ul>
<li>Requiring new development to be built higher</li>
<li>Using forward-looking climate data for planning and infrastructure decisions</li>
<li>Limiting the riskiest development in vulnerable areas</li>
</ul>
<p>But right now, these rules are at risk of being weakened or rolled back.</p>
<p>We know what works. Changing how we plan, build, and invest in resilience saves money by reducing risk and stabilizing costs over time. For every dollar we spend on resilience, communities save $13 in avoided damage and economic losses.</p>
<p>The smarter path is to act now. The longer we wait, the more it costs all of us.</p>
<p><strong>Sign our petition now urging Governor Mikie Sherrill to preserve the REAL Rules' science-based standards, complete any necessary amendments by Fall 2026, and keep New Jersey on track for implementation in July 2027</strong>.</p>
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