As Texas reels from the devastating effects of Hurricane Harvey, officials in New York are also doing their bit to protect parts of the city from such catastrophic storms in the future. The city’s Office of Recovery and Resiliency debuted a new surge protector wall along Beard Street in Red Hook, a neighborhood devastated by Hurricane Sandy, in 2012.
DNAinfo reported on the installation of this four foot-tall barrier, which extends along Beard Street, from Van Brunt to Richards Streets. The measure however is only temporary in nature as it would be unable to withstand a Hurricane Sandy-type event.
Instead the barrier has been installed right now because the area is particularly susceptible to flooding, and the barriers will offer protection from mild storm surges. For now, the structure will remain in place for the next five years as the city comes with up more long-term flood prevention measures.
The city is hoping to invest $100 million into flood protection measures in the neighborhood, and as of last fall, three preliminary proposals had come forward to tackle future storms. The city needs half of that money to come from the federal government, but with the Trump administration’s previous proclamations about cutting funds to FEMA (The Federal Emergency Management Agency) it’s not yet clear if or when those funds will come through.
Sandy-related repairs are currently underway on several NYCHA buildings throughout the neighborhood, and this work is expected to protect these buildings from future storms as well. A spokesperson from the Office of Recovery and Resiliency told DNAinfo that a 16-foot-high wall would have to built in the neighborhood to protect it from future Sandy-like events, which isn’t the most feasible option.
Surge protector: City builds wall near Red Hook coastline to combat mild flooding https://t.co/H2VoOTOVgr pic.twitter.com/HdZwnX1v6k
— Clem Reeves (@bklynadvocate) August 29, 2017
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