Jeff Van Drew: “My amendment would add to the findings of the importance of averting, minimizing, and addressing loss and damage…”

“My amendment would add to the findings of the importance of averting, minimizing, and addressing loss and damage associated with the adverse effects of climate change, including extreme weather events. It is well known that extreme weather events, such as hurricanes and tropical storms, are some of the most devastating and costly consequences of a warming world, displacing thousands of people at a time and costing government billions of dollars to recover. The good people of south Jersey know that climate change is occurring because our streets flood almost every time it rains in the coastal areas. Unfortunately, we also have the painful reminder of Superstorm Sandy. On October 29, 2012, Superstorm Sandy first struck the mainland near Brigantine, New Jersey, in my district, pounding our coast with winds of over 70 miles per hour and 13-foot storm surges, ultimately killing 147 people. Superstorm Sandy was the most destructive natural disaster ever to strike the State of New Jersey and ranks among the five costliest natural disasters in our Nation's history. Here is some of the damage caused by Sandy: Almost 350,000 homes were damaged. 1,400 vessels were sunk or abandoned. Seventy drinking water systems were affected. Eighty wastewater treatment plants suffered power loss or damage. The entire coastline experienced erosion. And untold billions were sucked out of our economy.…”