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| Sandy forces New York to consider all options in effort to make city safe | Sandy forces New York to consider all options in effort to make city safe |
| (5 months later) | |
| The devastation wrought by Sandy is forcing New Yorkers to consider a whole host of measures – from fortress-like flood barriers to offering a buy-out to people living in flood-prone areas – to make the city safe from future storms. | The devastation wrought by Sandy is forcing New Yorkers to consider a whole host of measures – from fortress-like flood barriers to offering a buy-out to people living in flood-prone areas – to make the city safe from future storms. |
| "We are vulnerable," the state's governor, Andrew Cuomo, told reporters this week. "Anyone who thinks there is not a dramatic change in weather patterns is deny reality. We have a new reality and old systems." New York, with its 520 miles of coastline, is second only to New Orleans in the US for the numbers of people living within 4ft of the high tide mark, or about 200,000 people. There is also valuable property at risk – and those risks will only grow. | "We are vulnerable," the state's governor, Andrew Cuomo, told reporters this week. "Anyone who thinks there is not a dramatic change in weather patterns is deny reality. We have a new reality and old systems." New York, with its 520 miles of coastline, is second only to New Orleans in the US for the numbers of people living within 4ft of the high tide mark, or about 200,000 people. There is also valuable property at risk – and those risks will only grow. |
| As New Yorkers discovered this week, subways, power lines, and other infrastructure are also at risk from storm surges and flooding. And time is running out to find a solution. Flooding during Sandy even exceeded the disaster scenarios envisaged in a 2011 New York state government designed to help authorities plan for future climate change. | As New Yorkers discovered this week, subways, power lines, and other infrastructure are also at risk from storm surges and flooding. And time is running out to find a solution. Flooding during Sandy even exceeded the disaster scenarios envisaged in a 2011 New York state government designed to help authorities plan for future climate change. |
| "The impacts we saw in the last couple of days were actually impacts we did not think we would see until the 2080s, such as the flooding in lower Manhattan, and in Long Island, the vulnerability of subway tubes and some of the airports," said Art DeGaetano, a Cornell University professor and director of the north-east regional climate centre, who was one of the authors of the report. | "The impacts we saw in the last couple of days were actually impacts we did not think we would see until the 2080s, such as the flooding in lower Manhattan, and in Long Island, the vulnerability of subway tubes and some of the airports," said Art DeGaetano, a Cornell University professor and director of the north-east regional climate centre, who was one of the authors of the report. |
| With sea-level rise, a common storm could prove as catastrophic as Sandy, putting about a third of the city's streets in a flood danger zone. | With sea-level rise, a common storm could prove as catastrophic as Sandy, putting about a third of the city's streets in a flood danger zone. |
| The city is looking at a variety of options from big engineering projects, such as levees, sea walls and pumping stations, to offering a buy-out to people to move out of flood-prone areas. | The city is looking at a variety of options from big engineering projects, such as levees, sea walls and pumping stations, to offering a buy-out to people to move out of flood-prone areas. |
| But protecting a city of 8 million from the consequences of climate change is a monumental undertaking. In the end, there may be no iron-clad guarantees. | But protecting a city of 8 million from the consequences of climate change is a monumental undertaking. In the end, there may be no iron-clad guarantees. |
| "You are not going to be able to build any infrastructure that is 100% safe from everything that nature may throw at it," DeGaetano said. | "You are not going to be able to build any infrastructure that is 100% safe from everything that nature may throw at it," DeGaetano said. |
| "There is a trade-off to making something that works through a lifetime against some fortress that will withstand any type of devastation nature may throw at it. I am not sure anyone could have designed a system to withstand the type of surges that New York City saw." | "There is a trade-off to making something that works through a lifetime against some fortress that will withstand any type of devastation nature may throw at it. I am not sure anyone could have designed a system to withstand the type of surges that New York City saw." |
| Here are some of the ideas on the table. | Here are some of the ideas on the table. |
| Flood walls and surge protectors | Flood walls and surge protectors |
| The first thought on many people's minds after Sandy was finding a way to wall off the island from the water through a system of sea walls. | The first thought on many people's minds after Sandy was finding a way to wall off the island from the water through a system of sea walls. |
| "We have to start thinking of things we haven't thought about," Jerrold Nadler, a Democratic congressman from New York told Current TV. "For example, maybe we ought to have retractable sea walls that go up 15 or 16ft all around lower Manhattan." A number of academics and engineering firms have come forward with specific proposals, with price tags ranging from $6bn to many tens of billions. | "We have to start thinking of things we haven't thought about," Jerrold Nadler, a Democratic congressman from New York told Current TV. "For example, maybe we ought to have retractable sea walls that go up 15 or 16ft all around lower Manhattan." A number of academics and engineering firms have come forward with specific proposals, with price tags ranging from $6bn to many tens of billions. |
| One such proposal envisages a wall that would lie flat at the bottom of the harbor, pivoting up when needed to block a storm surge. | One such proposal envisages a wall that would lie flat at the bottom of the harbor, pivoting up when needed to block a storm surge. |
| Other ideas include erecting two or three surge barriers across the upper East river, or a five-mile system of steel gates that would span from the Rockaway peninsula in Queens on Long Island to Sandy Hook in New Jersey. The gates would remain open to allow ships and tides through, but would lower in case of a storm. | Other ideas include erecting two or three surge barriers across the upper East river, or a five-mile system of steel gates that would span from the Rockaway peninsula in Queens on Long Island to Sandy Hook in New Jersey. The gates would remain open to allow ships and tides through, but would lower in case of a storm. |
| "This is not far-out science or engineering," Malcolm Bowman, a professor at Long Island's Stony Brook University and a long-time advocate of such a plan, told NBC television. "This is not far-out science or engineering." | "This is not far-out science or engineering," Malcolm Bowman, a professor at Long Island's Stony Brook University and a long-time advocate of such a plan, told NBC television. "This is not far-out science or engineering." |
| But critics say those barriers may not be failsafe as sea levels keep rising, and that they could interfere with tides and marine life. | But critics say those barriers may not be failsafe as sea levels keep rising, and that they could interfere with tides and marine life. |
| New York City's mayor, Michael Bloomberg, said this week he is not convinced. "We live on an island. We are very concentrated. There are economics involved. There are risks when you have those factors," he told a briefing. "I don't know if there are any practical ways to build barriers in oceans when you have an enormous harbour like we do, as well as Long Island Sound. Even if you spend a fortune I am not sure you would get value for it." | New York City's mayor, Michael Bloomberg, said this week he is not convinced. "We live on an island. We are very concentrated. There are economics involved. There are risks when you have those factors," he told a briefing. "I don't know if there are any practical ways to build barriers in oceans when you have an enormous harbour like we do, as well as Long Island Sound. Even if you spend a fortune I am not sure you would get value for it." |
| Natural defences | Natural defences |
| New York's climate change taskforce has been studying walls to bolster the city's natural defences against sea-level rise. Guy Nordenson, an engineer, has been advising the city on a project that would use dredged material to build natural defences. Other projects focus on restoring marshes and wetlands, and planting the shoreline with trees, all of which would provide a buffer against storm surges. | New York's climate change taskforce has been studying walls to bolster the city's natural defences against sea-level rise. Guy Nordenson, an engineer, has been advising the city on a project that would use dredged material to build natural defences. Other projects focus on restoring marshes and wetlands, and planting the shoreline with trees, all of which would provide a buffer against storm surges. |
| There has also been talk this week of bringing back oyster beds, which in past centuries helped stabilise the shore line. One other option, which would also help stop climate change, is promoting green roofs. Green roofs – like the 2 acre expanse the big postal sorting facility near Penn Station – can help capture rainfall during a storm, which also helps in a flood threat. | There has also been talk this week of bringing back oyster beds, which in past centuries helped stabilise the shore line. One other option, which would also help stop climate change, is promoting green roofs. Green roofs – like the 2 acre expanse the big postal sorting facility near Penn Station – can help capture rainfall during a storm, which also helps in a flood threat. |
| Environmental groups say the city has relaxed regulations on green roofs this year. "The natural solutions are a lot cheaper," said Bill Ulfelder, who heads the New York chapter of the Nature Conservancy. "People have estimated $10-$20bn for a surge protector at the mouth of the habour somewhere. But you can do a lot of trees, green roofs, oyster reefs and wetlands for just a few hundred million dollars." | Environmental groups say the city has relaxed regulations on green roofs this year. "The natural solutions are a lot cheaper," said Bill Ulfelder, who heads the New York chapter of the Nature Conservancy. "People have estimated $10-$20bn for a surge protector at the mouth of the habour somewhere. But you can do a lot of trees, green roofs, oyster reefs and wetlands for just a few hundred million dollars." |
| Electricity | Electricity |
| Ten of New York's 17 power plants are in flood-prone areas which, as Sandy demonstrated, made them hugely vulnerable. The storm made it painfully obvious that New York City needs a better back-up plan when parts of the electrical system are brought down. "We have to create redundancy. If a substation goes down because of flooding or another reason, a redundant system would come down behind it," said George Pataki, former governor of New York who is now working in the energy sector. He also suggests investing in sturdier equipment, or encasing equipment in vaults as a safeguard against potential flooding. "We have to harden substation transmission facilities so that when we do get a storm surge like this time, they can withstand it." | Ten of New York's 17 power plants are in flood-prone areas which, as Sandy demonstrated, made them hugely vulnerable. The storm made it painfully obvious that New York City needs a better back-up plan when parts of the electrical system are brought down. "We have to create redundancy. If a substation goes down because of flooding or another reason, a redundant system would come down behind it," said George Pataki, former governor of New York who is now working in the energy sector. He also suggests investing in sturdier equipment, or encasing equipment in vaults as a safeguard against potential flooding. "We have to harden substation transmission facilities so that when we do get a storm surge like this time, they can withstand it." |
| Subways | Subways |
| New York has been working to prevent flooding of the subway system since 2007 – when another heavy storm forced a shutdown. Since then, the transit authority spent $30m installing more pumps underground and raising ventilation grates and subway entrances to prevent water from sloshing in off the streets. Shutting down the system ahead of Sandy also helped. But those fixes were not enough for Sandy's catastrophic surge. | New York has been working to prevent flooding of the subway system since 2007 – when another heavy storm forced a shutdown. Since then, the transit authority spent $30m installing more pumps underground and raising ventilation grates and subway entrances to prevent water from sloshing in off the streets. Shutting down the system ahead of Sandy also helped. But those fixes were not enough for Sandy's catastrophic surge. |
| Stronger buildings | Stronger buildings |
| The city has been looking at how keep people safe and relatively comfortable in their homes if there is a blackout, as with Sandy. | The city has been looking at how keep people safe and relatively comfortable in their homes if there is a blackout, as with Sandy. |
| "With all of the predictions that we will have increased severity of weather events, how do you make buildings more useable in times when there is no power?" said Rafael Pelli, a Manhattan architect who has worked on a city climate change advisory committee. A solution requires delving right into the detail of daily life: ensuring there is enough water pressure to deliver water to upper floors of tall buildings, in the event of a power failure, or putting fire hydrants into double-duty supplying fresh water. The city is also pushing managers to move generators to higher ground. | "With all of the predictions that we will have increased severity of weather events, how do you make buildings more useable in times when there is no power?" said Rafael Pelli, a Manhattan architect who has worked on a city climate change advisory committee. A solution requires delving right into the detail of daily life: ensuring there is enough water pressure to deliver water to upper floors of tall buildings, in the event of a power failure, or putting fire hydrants into double-duty supplying fresh water. The city is also pushing managers to move generators to higher ground. |
| "It would help if you didn't put generators in the basement, and it would help if you tested them more. There is work do on those kinds of things," Bloomberg said. | "It would help if you didn't put generators in the basement, and it would help if you tested them more. There is work do on those kinds of things," Bloomberg said. |
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