Resilient NJ is excited to announce a new funding opportunity! Open to municipalities in all 21 counties, Resilient NJ aims to fund up to six new regional teams as they create resilience action plans. Regions will self-identify, but each must be made up of at least three contiguous municipalities plus one or more community-based organizations. Each selected regional team will be awarded up to $300,000 and paired with a multidisciplinary professional consulting team to aid in the development and implementation of an action plan to build local capacity, identify regional solutions, and increase climate resilience.
Funding is jointly provided by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration for the Building a Climate Ready NJ initiative, and by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. A Resilient NJ: Regional Assistance Program Planning Grant Webinar was held on September 3, 2025, to share details and answer questions related to the project's Notice of Funding Availability. The webinar was recorded and will be available along with the presentation shortly.
Grant applications can be found online and must be submitted by October 14, 2025. All information can be found at the Resilient NJ website.
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Flood Safety Week took place August 25-29, 2025, marking the release of flood safety outreach materials and the Statewide Flood Resilience Initiatives report, detailed below.
For Flood Safety Week, DEP unveiled a new “Know Your Flood Risk” webpage, which compiles easy-to-use information and resources for New Jerseyans, the NJ Office of Emergency Management released tips on flood safety and awareness, and Blue Acres unveiled its new Floodplain Restoration webpage, showcasing examples of restored post-buyout lands, and how these collaborative efforts with engaged local governments can provide myriad benefits for the surrounding communities.
Management Colonel Patrick J. Callahan notes: “The time to prepare is now, because readiness is the key to protecting your family, your home, and your community when the waters rise. Remember: Turn Around, Don’t Drown.”
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The NJ Interagency Council on Climate Resilience recently released the highlighting over 100 programs and projects aimed at reducing flood risk led by member agencies. Activities include efforts designed with the core purpose of advancing flood resilience—such as hazard identification, flood resilience planning, and technical assistance programs for local decision-makers—as well as efforts that support flood resilience while not being exclusively focused on flood-related impacts.
Read the Flood Safety Week and the release of the Statewide Flood Resilience Initiatives report to learn more.
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Flooding has had devastating impacts on lives across New Jersey—and Blue Acres plays a critical role in addressing these impacts one family at a time. Now, you can hear those stories firsthand through the experiences of three families whose homes were bought out by Blue Acres. This new video, released during Flood Safety Week, features Blue Acres homeowners who’ve experienced the impacts of flooding and made the courageous decision to move to safer ground.
You’ll also meet a Blue Acres case manager, offering insight into the supportive, hands-on guidance that homeowners receive through the buyout process.
These are stories of loss, resilience, and new beginnings—because when we share knowledge, we build stronger, safer communities.
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The Interagency Council has concluded its 2024/2025 webinar series focused on educating the public about climate-driven extreme heat and its impacts. Each of the six webinars addressed a different aspect of extreme heat: emergency management and preparedness, designing heat-resilient infrastructure, its impacts on overburdened communities, and its impacts on New Jersey’s ecosystems. The series proved popular, with hundreds of registrations and nearly 200 people attending a single webinar. Recordings of each webinar are posted on Heat Hub NJ’s Events page and DEP’s YouTube Heat playlist. Shorter recap videos will be posted soon.
The Interagency Council's webinar planning team wishes to express its appreciation for the panelists, moderators, and attendees for their insightful engagement during each webinar, and for helping to drive Heat Hub NJ’s total summer 2025 views to over 100,000. Stay tuned for more information as the team brainstorms ideas for future webinars in the series!
In response to significant flash flooding on July 14 (for which Governor Murphy declared a State of Emergency), Blue Acres hosted outreach events in August to provide information about the voluntary flood buyout process with impacted homeowners. These five consultation sessions served as opportunities for members of impacted communities to speak one-on-one with Blue Acres staff, receiving information on the voluntary buyout process based upon their individual circumstances. Across the three in-person events (hosted in partnership with the Boroughs of Dunellen and North Plainfield and the City of Rahway) and two virtual events, Blue Acres engaged 99 participants from more than a dozen municipalities. Of the + new voluntary buyout applications received since July 14, 2025, nearly 50% came from homeowners who attended a consultation session in August. Blue Acres continues to accept applications and is now working to determine funding priorities based on intake reports.
After a narrow miss with Hurricane Erin in August, and at the four-year anniversary of Ida's flood impacts, a reminder that we are still in the midst of hurricane season. In New Jersey, the season runs June through November. Hurricane impacts are anticipated to increase due to sea-level rise, warming temperatures, worsening precipitation, and as hurricane risk extends inland.
Plan ahead for hurricanes and know when to act:
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