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“Sandy wreaked havoc on Hudson River communities, damaging homes, businesses and infrastructure: it is critical that these waterfront communities are studied by top federal experts in flood mitigation to better avoid future devastation,” Schumer said.
Schumer, along with several Irvington officials, spoke Tuesday morning at Scenic Hudson Park in Irvington. Many waterfront parks and businesses suffered major damage when Sandy hit, losing thousands of dollars in the process.
The study will focus on Sandy's impact on coastal areas in New York City and on Long Island, developing mitigation strategies such as sea walls or ecosystem restoration. Schumer says it's important to include 150 miles along the Hudson River because it is in sync with the ocean's tides and suffered substantial damage from Sandy.
Schumer wants to include Westchester, Orange, Putnam, Rockland, Ulster and Greene Counties in the study. Many riverfront communities saw significant storm surges during the hurricane.
In Westchester, restaurants such as Red Hat on the River in Irvington or the Half-Moon Restaurant in Dobbs Ferry were closed for several weeks while they cleaned up damage. Hudson River boat clubs, such as the Tarrytown Marina, saw storm surges move boats several yards outside their gates. A boat was washed onto the Metro North Railroad in Ossining during Sandy.
Hurricane Sandy also flooded critical public works stations in Yonkers, causing sewage to be diverted to the Hudson River. Several dozen residents were also evacuated as the storm surges grew higher.
Irvington Mayor Brian Smith said he agrees with Schumer about the need to study flood mitigation along the Hudson River to prevent future damage.
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