Governor Christie won't be waiting for FEMA to release the final Flood Base Elevation maps, instead saying he will make the decision on the state's flood maps.

Ocean Avenue in Cape May is flooded
Mark Wilson/Getty Images
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Christie notes he is "tired of waiting" and that people waiting to know what standards to rebuild their homes to can't wait either.

"People are stalled right now because they don't know what to do, and I had this conversation with my staff and I said 'to hell with it, I'm deciding. We'll set the standard in New Jersey let everyone else follow us. They all do anyway.'"

Speaking during a Town Hall meeting in Manahawkin, the Governor said he will make the decision over the weekend, however says he won't be putting anyone in danger.

"My goal is to try and give you the most aggressive protective standards I can give you. If they lower them later on, then you'll benefit from that in your flood insurance premiums because you will be built to a higher standard."

Adding he doesn't want people to build to old standards, because they don't know what the new standards are.

"And then they get a huge flood insurance bill because you say 'oh well you built to the old standards but the new standards are much higher.' so now your flood insurance is going to cost instead of 2,000 dollars, 20,000 dollars."

He acknowledges building to a higher standard will cost more upfront, but it will be recouped through the lower insurance premiums and because homes build to the new standards are much more likely to survive if another storm hits.

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