Flooding along the vulnerable South Shore

It’s been more than three years since Hurricane Sandy devastated the South Shore, and for anyone north of Sunrise Highway, the storm is largely an afterthought.

But for many residents, last week’s severe flooding in Island Park, Long Beach, Freeport and other communities was a grim reminder of our area’s vulnerability not just to major storms like Sandy, but even to routine rain or snow events.

Flooding has long been an issue in our communities, but remaining complacent is no longer an option. We share State Assemblyman Todd Kaminsky’s sentiments that the latest storm “underscores the dire need to urgently improve and strengthen our infrastructure.”

There has been tremendous progress made since Sandy, particularly in Long Beach, where a new and more resilient boardwalk was rebuilt quickly. Drive around Long Beach and other South Shore communities and you’ll see countless homes in the process of being elevated to meet Federal Emergency Management Agency height requirements in order to avoid high flood insurance premiums — and major damage when the next “big one” hits.

Still, many South Shore residents remain displaced as they wait for funding from NY Rising or insurance settlements to rebuild their homes, and already aging infrastructure was severely damaged by Sandy. In Long Beach, the sense of urgency among residents and officials to rebuild remains strong.

Henk Ovink, a senior adviser to U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development Secretary Shaun Donovan’s Sandy Task Force, told The New York Times in 2014 that climate scientists predict that by the end of the century, sea levels will rise by 1½ to 4 feet. New York City could see storm surges of up to 24 feet.

Long Beach and state officials say they are well aware of the flooding issues, and share residents’ frustration. Long Beach officials maintain that resiliency projects there are moving more quickly than in other municipalities. But even with work under way in Long Beach to install tide-flex valves and improve water and sewer systems, officials say that until a comprehensive regional approach to mitigate flooding is implemented, coastal communities will remain vulnerable.