While the last Sandy storm victims return to their rebuilt homes, Mayor Michael Bloomberg unveiled a costly plan to build flood walls, levees and dunes to protect New York City from future destructive natural disasters. Bloomberg, who will finish his third four-year term as mayor at the end of 2013, said this week that the city already has 15 billion dollars in federal aid granted after Sandy struck in October. He said the city will raise another 5 billion dollars to begin construction of flood walls along Manhattan's East River and on Staten Island, one of the New York boroughs hardest hit by Sandy.
Bloomberg said in his 438-page proposal that he didn't want to leave the entire ambitious project to his successor and intended to act on it out as soon as possible. But New York media warned there is no guarantee his successor would be able to complete a project begun by the multi-billionaire creator of Bloomberg Financial News. Bloomberg said the project initially would cost 20 billion dollars, but could go higher. It would cover many parts in the city and would be an effort to fortify New York City's infrastructure and buildings, particularly along the shores, in order to withstand future hurricanes. There was no estimate how long it would take to complete the project.
"This plan is incredibly ambitious - and much of the work will extend far beyond the next 203 days - but we refused to pass the responsibility for creating a plan onto the next administration," Bloomberg said Tuesday when he unveiled the plan at the Brooklyn Navy Yard, which was flooded by Sandy. "This is urgent work, and it must begin now," he said. Hurricane Sandy wreaked havoc in major residential areas in New York, New Jersey and Connecticut. Half of Manhattan was blacked out for a week when surging waters from the East River flooded and knocked out generators.
Manhattan is flanked by the East River on the east side and Hudson River on the west side, making it vulnerable to any rises of sea levels. Tens of thousands of people lost their homes as the region was unprepared for Sandy's devastating forces. The hurricane inflicted property and economic losses estimated at 19 billion dollars in New York City and more in New Jersey and Connecticut. Sandy proved that the New York region, which had been previously spared from such major natural disasters, is as vulnerable as any other part of the US regularly by hurricanes and storms.
The threat of rising sea levels and powerful storm has become reality along some 600 miles of coast from Washington to New England. One of Bloomberg's recommendations calls for the construction of a Seaport City south of the Brooklyn Bridge, which could protect lower east side of Manhattan the same way Battery Park City at the southern tipoff Manhattan was built against unpredictable weather patterns. Bloomberg said the cost from Sandy-like hurricanes in future years could be higher if no action is taken now to protect the city. The project calls for a system of permanent levees as high as 6 metres to protect Staten Island from floods. The levees alone could cost 400 million dollars. Bloomberg has already received support from business and environmental groups.
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