Increasingly damaging weather is the new normal and New York is having plenty of it. The New York City metro area this summer alone has seen downed power lines, submerged cars, and saw the SoHo neighborhood turn into a wading pond. As the climate changes, storms are becoming stronger and more frequent.
A new report from the nonprofit Rebuild by Design projects that New York State will surpass half a trillion dollars in infrastructure spending over the next 24 years. Rebuild by Design was created after Hurricane Sandy to work with New York City agencies on flood-related protection initiatives.
The report enumerated more than 700 federal, state, and local initiatives that governments have committed to paying for or are being planned. The projects address sea level rise, erosion, electrical grid vulnerabilities, storm-water management, wind and storm damage, and sewer upgrades. And the estimates don’t even take into account damage from future disasters.
New York City faces significant infrastructure, flooding, and extreme heat problems. The cost of climate change preparations breaks down to about $50,000 per resident. Paying for preparing for the future will fall on local and state governments, some of which are already borrowing money for their current problems. Ultimately, it is likely to mean higher taxes for residents.
FEMA is the federal go-to with respect to weather disasters, but damage has to reach a certain level before the president can declare a disaster that qualifies for federal aid.
A comprehensive statewide plan for extreme weather and sea level rise is sorely needed.
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References:
New York Faces Half a Trillion in Storm Prevention Costs, Report Finds
