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I am looking to buy a house in Wayne, NJ. I am aware that certain areas are in a major flood zone however I am not familiar which areas are safe. So I guess I have two questions:
1. I found a house on Newark Ave and wonder if this street/area is ok. Or am I in store for a rude awakening?
2. Which are the safe areas in Wayne or is the whole town in the flood plain.
Hi Michelle, Wayne is a wonderful town in so many ways. Good schools, great activities for children (and grown-ups, too), convenient to everything, good mass transit. great people. The only downside is the flooding which has been increasing in a big way over the past few years related to multiple factors, including the new dam. It is not anticipated to get better I'm afraid. Newark Avenue does indeed flood, especially the homes closest to Route 23North. So do many of those surrounding streets. Any home in "Old Wayne" or near Ryerson Avenue or near any of the river has been affected by flooding. It doesn't happen all the time, but it's a nightmare when it happens and it's happening more frequently. Wayne is wonderful...just find an area that hasn't been affected. The same goes for Lincoln Park, Pequannock, Denville, Montville (Towaco), Little Falls (Singac), Woodland Park, etc. Good luck with your home search!
Legislation Could Change Who Controls Floodgates - Wayne, NJ Patch This may be helpful about the floodgates down the line, Michelle. Just not now. Check out Packanack Lake or other parts of Wayne....all lovely. Some sections of Lions Head Lake got water recently, too. Feel free to DM me if you wish.
All areas that are not elevated on the banks of brooks/rivers and lakes will show up on Flood Zone maps. If you go by the maps you would never buy lakefront property. I agree with Koala on better safe than sorry to a point but you have to do a little bit more digging to get a clear picture. If flood insurance is required you have a problem. If not you have to talk to neighbors. Did this area flood during Sandy? Irene? If not you probably don't have much to worry about.
All areas that are not elevated on the banks of brooks/rivers and lakes will show up on Flood Zone maps. If you go by the maps you would never buy lakefront property. I agree with Koala on better safe than sorry to a point but you have to do a little bit more digging to get a clear picture. If flood insurance is required you have a problem. If not you have to talk to neighbors. Did this area flood during Sandy? Irene? If not you probably don't have much to worry about.
TD, with all due respect, did you even look at the links I provided? The first link I provided takes you to a map that shows areas that have flooded in the past, and the intersection of Lion's Head and Tamarack Rd clearly is shown as an area that has been underwater in the past. Then if you look at the FEMA map from the link I provided, the area of that intersection is located within a very high risk FEMA flood plane, meaning flood insurance will be required by what ever financial institution is underwriting the mortgage. I do not posting just to post and say, oh they are asking if Wayne floods, and I know there is a flooding issue in the town, so I must pipe in to tell them that. I posted after verifying and checking resources to see if that specific location is affected by flooding. 9and why I said "that location is within a known flood zone"
TD, with all due respect, did you even look at the links I provided? The first link I provided takes you to a map that shows areas that have flooded in the past, and the intersection of Lion's Head and Tamarack Rd clearly is shown as an area that has been underwater in the past. Then if you look at the FEMA map from the link I provided, the area of that intersection is located within a very high risk FEMA flood plane, meaning flood insurance will be required by what ever financial institution is underwriting the mortgage. I do not posting just to post and say, oh they are asking if Wayne floods, and I know there is a flooding issue in the town, so I must pipe in to tell them that. I posted after verifying and checking resources to see if that specific location is affected by flooding.
KoalaNJ
Umm, yes I looked at the link you provided . I don;t just blindly respond to every flooding post on Wayne. Like you, I like to provide relevant information. The intersection of Lionshead Lake and Tamarack? The map shows a low risk(actually high but low for a flood hazard area) of flooding(consistent with all brooks, streams, rivers and lake areas) and the historical flood map shows nothing. Am I missing something?
Last edited by Goldendoodle1969; 07-09-2015 at 11:21 AM..
Many locations in Wayne (and North NJ) that are not near the obvious flood areas have high water tables and underground streams. Check the basement for a sump pump. A sump pump is an indication that the house might have water issues, although there are homes have sumps that are not used. If the basement looks all new (flooring/walls/washer/dryer/furnace all new) there might have been recent water damage. Houses in valleys, no matter how small, can also be risky. Make sure you look at old maps, too. There are a number of houses in Wayne built on what used to be ponds and streams.
If there is a sump be prepared to buy a generator to make sure the pump works during a power failure.
Umm, yes I looked at the link you provided . I don;t just blindly respond to every flooding post on Wayne. Like you, I like to provide relevant information. The intersection of Lionshead Lake and Tamarack? The map shows a low risk of flooding(consistent with all brooks, streams, rivers and lake areas) and the historical flood map shows nothing. Am I missing something?
Yes I think you are, the flood zone map from the first link shows that the intersection of Tamarak and Lions Head roads is clearly within a flood zone, the area is covered in pink, not the darkest pink which indicates it floods all the time, it is a lighter shade which indicates it floods only when the flooding is severe - which it has been quite often as of late. It does take a while for the data to show up on the map, I guess the servers for the site are slow or the maps are in heavy demand. The FEMA map is a bit of a PITA to use, (which is why I used the other initially) I also checked on the maps provided on the town's website, though I am not sure if those are the most up to date ones, as FEMA has been making changes to the maps as of late.
In any case all the poster has to do is ask the listing realtor and ask about flooding history. For further info, I looked on trulia, I believe the poster is speaking of a home currently for sale on Lions Head Blvd, which specifies it must be a cash offer only - which clearly sends up red flag warning signs. (it is the only home listed for sale in the general area I saw)
KoalaNJ
(Who is less grumpy now that I have had some food and caffeine, it's been a bad morning)
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The first link I provided takes you to a map that shows areas that have flooded in the past, and the intersection of Lion's Head and Tamarack Rd clearly is shown as an area that has been underwater in the past. Then if you look at the FEMA map from the link I provided, the area of that intersection is located within a very high risk FEMA flood plane, meaning flood insurance will be required by what ever financial institution is underwriting the mortgage. I do not posting just to post and say, oh they are asking if Wayne floods, and I know there is a flooding issue in the town, so I must pipe in to tell them that. I posted after verifying and checking resources to see if that specific location is affected by flooding. 9and why I said "that location is within a known flood zone"
