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According to an announcement by New York Gov. Kathy Hochul on Friday, Jan. 26, the many extreme storms that have slammed into Suffolk County's Fire Island over the last few years make the island eligible for a process that will assess, fund, and repair damaged coastal areas.
This means that the US Army Corps of Engineers will be allowed to begin an expedited evaluation of needed repairs on the eastern side of Fire Island to protect the public's safety and ensure protection from future storms, Hochul's office said.
The announcement follows a request from the New York Department of Environmental Conservation to the Army Corps for federal assistance with repairing damage caused by storms such as Hurricane Lee and Tropical Storm Ophelia in September 2023, and other winter storms in December.
The determination that Fire Island is eligible for such assistance will also lead to an assessment of measures needed in eastern communities like Seaview, Cherry Grove, Fire Island Pines, and Davis Park to make them more resistant to damage, officials said.
"Long Island's iconic beaches are a treasured natural resource and I'm doing everything in my power to protect them for the next generation," Hochul said, adding, " I am committed to working with the Army Corps to immediately begin repairs on eastern Fire Island and at other Army Corps projects that were damaged by recent storms.”
US Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer also commented on the approval, saying, "Today, we have made good progress and the Army Corps is fired up to help Fire Island. And that is a good thing because the Island is a mess from recent storm damage."
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