City Council Member Chaim Deutsch (D-Sheepshead Bay, Brighton Beach, Manhattan Beach, Midwood, Homecrest) led a group of electeds along with the U.S. Army Corp Engineers to discuss flood protection plans at a public scoping meeting last week at the NY Aquarium, 602 Surf Avenue and West 8th Street in Coney Island.
Specifically, the meeting addressed a coming coastal storm study that would help prevent future flooding’s in certain sections of South Brooklyn as well as the New York-New Jersey Harbor and the Hudson River to Troy, New York.
United States Army Corp Engineer Bryce W. Wisemiller, the project manager of the New York/New Jersey Harbor and Tributaries Coastal Storm Risk Management Feasibility Study, discussed the importance of the study for residents who are located in flood area sections of the city. The objective according to Wisemiller is, “To manage the risk of coastal storm damage in the study area, while contributing to the resilience of communities, critical infrastructures and the environment.”
On October 29th, 2012, Hurricane Sandy made landfall in New York City, badly effecting residents in coastal sections of the city. According to a study done by nyc.gov, “Sandy and Its Impact,” the storm resulted in the death of 43 New Yorkers, resulted in over $15 billion in damages to the city, caused the evacuation of 6,500 patients from hospitals and home, and left close to two million people without power.
Wisemiller and his team presented a few alternatives that can help prevent floods in inundation zones, which include building floodgates in sections such as Astoria, the Gowanus, Pelham Bay, Jamaica Bay, Arthur Kill Road, Bronx River/Westchester Creek and Flushing.
Assembly Member William Colton (D-Bensonhurst, Bath Beach) spoke out on the importance of the study, “There’s no question this is a real issue that can impact people. My district was a bit north of Coney Island, but it was impacted by Sandy. Damage was done, families were effected. Climate change is a real issue and it is not getting better, it is getting worse. We’re facing increasing problems and unfortunately I can’t really say that government is taking it as seriously as it should take,” Colton said.
“We’ve got to take it very seriously, government has to start treating this as a crisis, as an emergency and I don’t really see that happening so far. We have to keep trying to make that happen because we need to do things that will protect people and will change the way’s that we’re doing things in the past that have resulted in this kind of a crisis,“ he added.
Also in attendance was Assemblywoman Helene Weinstein (D-Sheepshead Bay, Flatlands) as well as representatives from the offices of City Councilman Alan Maisel (D-Canarsie), Assemblyman Steve Cymbrowitz (D-Sheepshead Bay) and State Sen. Roxanne Persaud (D-Canarsie, Mill Basin, Bergen Beach, Brownsville).
A draft of the feasibility study will be released during the fall of 2018, with a final report aimed for spring 2021. The chief’s official report, which will be pitched to congress will be issued during the summer of 2022.
