TELL US: Hope for Woodbridge? Gov Wants Sandy Home Buyouts in Middlesex County

Gov. Chris Christie wants to spend $250 million of federal money to buy out homes that are subject to perpetual flooding.

But he doesn't want to do the buy outs in shore communities. The governor said he wants to direct that money to buy flood-prone homes in Middlesex County, according to a report on northjersey.com.

The county has flooding issues with communites located along the Raritan River, Raritan Bay, and the Arthur Kill.

Perth Amboy, Old Bridge, and Sayreville were all hard hit by Hurricane Sandy. But Woodbridge's flood problem has been historically ignored, even though 606 homes experienced damage from the hurricane - 116 with minor damage, 449 with major damage, and 44 homes where the storm damage was labeled as 'severe'.

The New Jersey Department of Community Affairs, in an article on NJSpotight, classifies home damage by the amount of money it would take to repair it. Minor damage costs $8,000 or less to fix; major damage costs between $8,000 and $28,800 for repairs; and severe damage would require an expenditure of over $28,800.

, are located directly on the Arthur Kill, which Christie designated as being one of the areas in Middlesex County where home buyouts could happen. The township also has areas that have streams and tributaries that empty into the Kill - like the historical flooding in the Crampton Avenue section of Woodbridge near Rahway Avenue.

There are also areas of town with waterways that empty into or are located near the Raritan River.

The governor brought up this idea at one of his famous town hall meetings - this one held in Lakewood, northjersey.com reports - on Tuesday in response to a question of an audience member. 

TELL US: Should Gov. Christie use the federal millions to buy out flood-prone homes in Woodbridge? What priority should the township have in Middlesex County? Post your opinion below!