Hoboken’s Post-Sandy Resilience

Hoboken, New Jersey, suffered over $100 million in damage during Hurricane Sandy due to a history of ignoring scientific evidence in urban planning and infrastructure development. In response, Mayor Dawn Zimmer released the August 2013 Hoboken Resiliency and Readiness Plan, which prioritizes science-based flood mitigation, such as installing 'wet weather' pumps and creating green infrastructure like rain gardens. The city faces significant risk as 53 percent of its 50,000 residents live less than five feet above the local high tide line, with nonwhite and African-American residents disproportionately affected. The document argues that while the city is now better prepared, sustained political leadership is required to resist risky waterfront development and address the long-term effects of sea level rise.

• Hurricane Sandy caused more than $100 million in damage to Hoboken, including $10 million in city property and damage to over 1,700 homes, exacerbated by a lack of science-based planning.
• The August 2013 Hoboken Resiliency and Readiness Plan employs a science-informed approach to climate change, focusing on storm water management through 'wet weather' pumps, rain gardens, and the conversion of Coastal High Hazard Zones into parks with water retention facilities.
• Hoboken has the highest population exposed to flood risk of any New Jersey city, with 53 percent of its 50,000 residents living less than five feet above the local high tide line.
• Flood risk in Hoboken disproportionately affects residents of color, with 62 percent of African-American residents and 57 percent of nonwhite residents living in areas less than five feet above the high tide mark.
• Historical urban planning decisions, such as draining a tidal marsh in the mid-1800s and building on aging infrastructure in the 1990s, increased the city's vulnerability to sea level rise and storm surges.

APA

Union of Concerned Scientists (2014). Hoboken’s Post-Sandy Resilience. https://www.ucs.org/sites/default/files/2019-09/hoboken-post-sandy-resilience.pdf

Chicago

Union of Concerned Scientists. Hoboken’s Post-Sandy Resilience. 2014. https://www.ucs.org/sites/default/files/2019-09/hoboken-post-sandy-resilience.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Union of Concerned Scientists |title=Hoboken’s Post-Sandy Resilience |date=February 2014 |url=https://www.ucs.org/sites/default/files/2019-09/hoboken-post-sandy-resilience.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{unionofconcernedscientists2014hobokens, author = {{Union of Concerned Scientists}}, title = {{Hoboken’s Post-Sandy Resilience}}, institution = {Union of Concerned Scientists}, year = {2014}, month = feb, url = {https://www.ucs.org/sites/default/files/2019-09/hoboken-post-sandy-resilience.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }