$65B
Sandy regional damage
100K+
LI homes damaged by Sandy
980mi
coastline exposure
21"
sea level rise by 2050
Lessons from Superstorm Sandy
Superstorm Sandy in October 2012 caused $65 billion in regional damage and devastated Long Island communities. Over 100,000 Long Island homes were damaged or destroyed. The storm exposed critical vulnerabilities in infrastructure, emergency response, and community resilience.
Multi-Hazard Planning
Climate-Related Threats
- Hurricanes and nor'easters with increasing intensity
- Sea level rise: 15-21 inches projected by 2050
- Extreme heat events threatening vulnerable populations
- Flooding from both coastal surge and intense rainfall
Public Health Emergencies
- Pandemic preparedness with stockpiled supplies and surge capacity
- Vector-borne disease monitoring (Lyme, West Nile, EEE)
- Harmful algal bloom response affecting water supplies
- Chemical and radiological incident response
FEMA Enhanced Hazard Mitigation Plans
FEMA-approved hazard mitigation plans that incorporate social vulnerability indices for older adults and people with disabilities ensure emergency plans are inclusive and address the needs of the most vulnerable populations.
Infrastructure Resilience
| System | Vulnerability | Hardening Strategy |
|---|---|---|
| Electric grid | Widespread outages during storms | Undergrounding, microgrids, battery storage |
| Water/sewer | Pump station flooding | Elevation, backup power, redundancy |
| Transportation | Road/bridge closures | Raising roadways, improved drainage |
| Communications | Cell tower and 911 failures | Mobile command centers, satellite backup |
| Healthcare | Hospital evacuations | Flood barriers, backup systems, surge plans |
Community Resilience
Preparedness Programs
- Community Emergency Response Teams (CERT) training
- Neighborhood-level preparedness planning
- Special needs registries for evacuations
- Multilingual emergency communications
Recovery Capacity
- Pre-positioned disaster supply contracts
- Mutual aid agreements with neighboring jurisdictions
- Expedited permitting for post-disaster rebuilding
- Financial resilience through insurance and reserves
Federal Programs
- FEMA Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities (BRIC) grants
- HUD Community Development Block Grants for disaster recovery
- Hazard Mitigation Grant Program (post-disaster)
- Flood Mitigation Assistance Program