With devastating floods becoming more common in New Jersey, 77% of voters say that they are concerned about damage from extreme weather events.
In the latest results from the FDU Poll, in partnership with Rebuild by Design and the Environmental Defense Fund, voters also say that the state should be doing more about investing in projects that would mitigate damage and back a multi-billion-dollar bond issue to fund those efforts.
The survey was conducted between July 17–23, 2025. It polled 806 registered voters in New Jersey.
“Preparation and mitigation are partisan issues in the abstract, but politics doesn’t matter as much when people are seeing the damage with their own eyes,” said Dan Cassino, a professor of government and politics at Fairleigh Dickinson University, and the executive director of the FDU Poll. “You don’t have to believe in man-made climate change to think that the sort of flooding we’ve been seeing in New Jersey is a problem.”
Overall, 37% of likely voters in New Jersey say they’re “very concerned” about property and infrastructure damage caused by extreme weather events such as flooding, with another 40% saying that they’re “somewhat” concerned. Democrats are more likely to be concerned than Republicans, but even among Republicans, 63% say that they’re “very” or “somewhat” concerned.
Regarding the role of the government in dealing with extreme weather events, 66% of voters say that government should be doing more to mitigate damage from weather events, including 78% of Democrats and 53% of Republicans. There is little division by age group: 63% of voters 30 and under say that they state should be doing more, alongside 66% of voters 65 and older.
“In the past decade alone, flooding in New Jersey has led to the loss of dozens of lives, homes, and businesses,” said Kate Boicourt, NY-NJ director, Climate Resilient Coasts and Watersheds of Environmental Defense Fund. “Investing in resilience can prevent these disasters, create jobs, and make our neighborhoods safer and greener.”
Large majorities of voters say it’s important for the state to make investments in mitigation projects: 60% say it’s “very” important, and another 33% say “somewhat” important. While 97% of Democrats say that it’s “very” or “somewhat” important, 89% of Republicans say the same.
“Republicans are less likely to trust the government to do anything, and mitigating weather damage is no exception,” said Cassino. “So, when we see that Republicans and Democrats both favor doing something, it makes sense to take notice.”
The poll asked respondents whether they would support a $3 billion dollar bond issue to fund projects that would help mitigate damage from extreme weather and harden infrastructure against it. Seventy-six percent of voters say that they would support such a bond issue with 18% opposed to it. Support is highest among Democrats (86%), but high across political groups (75 % among independents, 64% for Republicans).
“New Jersey voters overwhelmingly support actions to help communities adapt to increasing weather events, and by planning ahead, we can mitigate loss of life, loss of homes, and loss of tax dollars,” said Amy Chester, director of Rebuild by Design.
