About and FAQ — MyCoast: New Jersey

A project of the NJDEP-Coastal Management Program, Jacques Cousteau National Estuarine Research Reserve, and Rutgers University Department of Marine and Coastal Sciences

Have you experienced more frequent or intense flooding in your community? New Jersey is becoming increasingly vulnerable to the effects of climate change such as extreme storms, changing precipitation rates, and an increase in high tide flooding as sea levels rise.

MyCoast: New Jersey was launched in 2021 through a partnership of the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection Coastal Management Program and the Jacques Cousteau National Estuarine Research Reserve. This initiative is designed to give you a platform where you can share photos and stories to document impacts of flooding due to rain, storms, or high tides and changes to our environment over time. This helps us determine how often a community is flooding and where, leading a collaborative effort to identify and prioritize climate change resilience strategies.

By using MyCoast you are capturing important weather and climate related events in your community. We analyze and share this data to make informed management decisions for New Jersey.

For questions and more information, please contact:

Amanda Archer
Coastal Training Program Coordinator, Jacques Cousteau Reserve
amanda.archer@marine.rutgers.edu

Watch this video to learn more about climate change impacts to coastal New Jersey:

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

You should use MyCoast if you have experienced changes to our environment over time, such as, more frequent sunny day flooding events, higher storm surges, or changing coastlines. By using MyCoast, you are capturing important visual impacts from weather and climate related events in your community. MyCoast is also a resource to understand tidal and riverine data – where and when flooding may affect you and others.

Your report provides documentation of environmental changes that help all of us recognize the impacts to your community, as well as other communities. Planners and decision-makers can use this information to better inform management decisions. Your report may also be used on social media platforms to promote MyCoast for increased awareness.

A MyCoast account must be created to post content and receive predicted high water alerts. However, you do not need to make an account to view other people’s posts.

MyCoast email alerts will be sent to the email address you used to make a MyCoast account. To receive quick alerts to your phone, download the MyCoast app and sign in or make an account. Make sure to allow MyCoast notifications and location through your phone settings in order to receive high water alerts from your local tide station.

Follow @jacquescousteaunerr and @njcoastalmanagement on social media for additional MyCoast alerts and announcements.

Yes! MyCoast allows you to upload pictures from any past flooding event. The date, time, and location of the photo will automatically be linked upon submission. If the photo is not embedded with that information, it is important to review when and where the photo was taken to ensure an accurate report. We encourage submissions of past flooding so that we can compare them to recent reports.

At this time, videos cannot be submitted in a MyCoast report. If you would like to share a flooding video please contact amanda.archer@marine.rutgers.edu.

Yes. When we talk about the coast in New Jersey, it is much more than just the shore! The entire state of New Jersey is impacted by flooding whether it is tidal flooding in the coastal zone (from the Delaware River to the Atlantic ocean) or precipitation-based flooding and faulty infrastructure. Anyone in the state of New Jersey can submit photos and stories on MyCoast.

Flooding in New Jersey is changing in several ways. Sea level rise is happening faster in New Jersey than in other parts of the world, and the severity of precipitation events is increasing.

Sea Level Rise

  • In 40 years, New Jersey sea levels rose almost twice as much as the global average (8.2 inches vs. 4.3 inches).
  • There is a 50% chance that New Jersey sea levels will meet or exceed 0.8 feet by 2030 and 1.4 feet by 2050.

Why are sea levels rising faster in New Jersey? Listen to this 3 minute NPR audio clip to hear why sea level varies across the world. All Things Considered Podcast

Sunny Day Flooding

  • With sea levels rising, sunny day flooding is becoming more common in our tidal communities.
  • Atlantic City currently experiences sunny day flooding an average of eight times a year. Under current climate conditions, that number is expected to go up to 24 days by 2050 and there’s a 50% chance it could be as frequent as 120 days per year.

Learn more about NJ Sea Level Rise projections and sunny day flooding impacts here.

Precipitation and Storms

  • Rain events and storms are anticipated to become more frequent and severe due to climate change.
  • Annual precipitation in New Jersey is expected to increase by 4% to 11% by 2050.
    The size and frequency of floods will increase as extreme rain storms get worse.
  • Due to variable precipitation patterns, drought-like conditions may occur more frequently.
  • See the 2020 New Jersey Scientific Report on Climate Change for more information.

See the 2020 New Jersey Scientific Report on Climate Change for more information.

Since it can be hard to predict where and how much flooding can take place at any given time, here are a few natural clues that may lead to flooding and help us prepare:

  • an offshore storm or hurricane
  • a full, new, or supermoon
  • sustained northeast winds

You can help your community be better prepared for flooding by sharing your photos and stories with MyCoast! You can get involved by attending community events related to flood awareness. Talk to your community members about MyCoast and encourage them to download the MyCoast app.