Tackling Flooding in NJ Communities
April 17th, 2025
Noon - 2:30 PM
Room 116, Central King Building, NJIT, NJ
Flood Resilience Workshop
On April 17th 2025, community leaders, emergency responders, engineers, researchers, and policymakers gathered at NJIT to explore innovative strategies to tackle one of New Jersey's most pressing environmental challenges: flooding. The event was attended by State Senator Gordon Johnson and Assemblywoman Shama Haidar. A representative of Congressman Gottheimer also attended.
About the Event
The Flood Resilience Workshop was a pivotal event focused on building stronger, more adaptive communities in the face of increasing flood risks. Organized by the Center for Natural Resources (CNR) at NJIT, this workshop united experts from government, academia, and industry to share insights, foster collaboration, and spotlight actionable flood mitigation strategies for New Jersey municipalities.
Event Highlights
Agenda Summary
- 12:00 PM – 1:00 PM | Registration, Lunch & Networking
- 1:00 PM – 1:10 PM | Welcome & Program Overview – Dr. Michel C. Boufadel, Director of the CNR
- 1:10 PM – 1:20 PM | Major Douglas Lemanowicz, Commanding Officer, NJ Office of Emergency Management
- 1:20 PM – 1:30 PM | Christopher Testa, NJ Office of Emergency Management
- 1:30 PM – 1:40 PM | Robert Hoffmann, City Manager, Englewood
- 1:40 PM – 2:10 PM | Open Discussion moderated by Dr. Michel C. Boufadel
- 2:10 PM – 2:20 PM | Closing Remarks
Technology Showcase
Innovations on Display:
Key Takeaways
- Nature-based solutions are crucial for urban flood resilience
- Data sharing between municipalities and researchers is improving coordination
- Public-private partnerships are essential to infrastructure development
- Real-time data and modeling can help prepare communities more effectively
- Statutory changes are needed to better respond to flood emergencies
Who Attended
Government & Local Officials:
Representatives from Englewood, Bergenfield, Cresskill, Leonia, Tenafly, Patterson, Asbury Park, Newark, Neptune City, and Irvington.
Academia:
Faculty, researchers, and students from NJIT, Rutgers, Princeton, and Stevens Institute of Technology.
Industry:
Leaders and experts from Langan Engineering, HDR, AECOM, Veolia, and American Water.
Total Attendance: Around 120 attendees
