As the Tri-state area continues the long and difficult task of cleaning up and begins the very long job of rebuilding, it is very important for the federal government to work with our state and local governments on how our very vulnerable coastline can be better protected against potential future storms.
We can no longer act as if this issue is not a priority; it most certainly must be. The awesome images of flood waters surging into the Brooklyn Battery Tunnel, the South Ferry Subway Station and the streets of lower Manhattan certainly would reinforce this.
Tropical Storm Irene was the dress rehearsal; Hurricane Sandy was the real show. Now it is time for the powers that be to work on some type of flood control system that can protect lower Manhattan, its subway and traffic tunnels, Staten Island, Coney Island, the Rockaway Peninsula and the Jersey Shore from devastating flooding as a result of storm tides and surges.
We know that this type of flood control system could take years to develop, but the pace must be quickened. There will still be damage from hurricanes and Nor’easters, but at least the damage from the ocean can and must be lessened.
John Amato
Fresh Meadows
