New Inland Flood Rules

The NJ Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP) adopted the new Inland Flood Protection Rule on July 17, 2023. The new requirements increase design flood elevations, address outdated rainfall data, and ensure that areas at the most significant flood risk are better defined. Additionally, new and rebuilt structures in these areas must be designed and constructed using the best available climate-informed precipitation data. These new rules were enacted to help protect communities from the impact of potential flooding associated with proposed new development projects and outdated rainfall modeling data. Most new designs will likely increase the project’s need for stormwater management. While homeowners may be impacted by these rules, most new regulations are related to new development. Residents can go to the NJDEP website at dep.nj.gov to view the details of the new rules.