Somers Point renews StormReady designation | Local News

Somers Point renewed its StormReady designation with the National Weather Service in Mount Holly on Monday, signifying the city’s ability to easily communicate weather hazards to residents. 

The designation, which will last until March 31, 2025, makes Somers Point and Longport the only two towns to be StormReady in Atlantic County. 

Office of Emergency Management Coordinator Phil Gaffney said this will benefit property owners. Somers Point will receive points in the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s Community Rating System program, which gives discounts on flood insurance premiums. As of Oct. 1, the city has a class 5 rating, good for a 25{066dbc63777e5ed549f406789d72fdeebd77a32711d57f7b38ff2b35c4ba2a42} reduction. 

The NWS in Mount Holly, which covers all of South Jersey, only allows new designations from the county government level. Municipalities are only allowed to renew their certificate if they had one.

However, counties that do become StormReady are allowed to list member towns in their designation, according to Joe Miketta, warning coordination meteorologist for the NWS in Mount Holly.