Rebuilding in the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy
Hurricane Sandy left devastation and personal tragedy in its wake on Staten Island. It also left us with staggering governing challenges for the rebuilding of the borough.
New York City must begin a planning process recognizing that major storms are growing both more frequent and more severe. Governor Cuomo was correct when he noted that we’ve been getting hit with “storms of the century” less than every two years. There was a scant 14-month interval between Hurricane Irene and Hurricane Sandy.
Right now, government must work with FEMA so that temporary housing is established on Staten Island and not in faraway places like Connecticut, where some of our impacted neighbors have been forced to reside in. Displaced families have a better peace of mind when they’re living near their own, damaged homes.