How NYC Has Changed Since Hurricane Sandy and What Still Needs to Be Improved

Back in 2012, Hurricane Sandy rocked the better part of New York City, Long Island, and New Jersey. Thousands were left without homes and power due to the storm, and NYC alone was left with $19 billion worth of damaged. Now five years later, there have been many changes made to the city to protect against future storms, but many New Yorker’s feel as if there is a lot of work to still be done.

What Still Needs to Be Improved After Sandy:

The Slowness to Use Recovery Money

The New York Housing Authority was given $2.9 billion to repair over 30 public housing developments, but many residents feel that repairs are not being done fast enough. Five years later, some buildings still smell of mold and mildew and do not provide sufficient heat or hot water due to the continued use of temporary hot water boilers. On the bright side, a new $65 million roof repair project is underway on the Red Hook Houses in Brooklyn, which was one of the hardest areas hit.

The Location of New Infrastructure

One of the most affected areas of NYC after Sandy was the train system as a whole. Since then, the MTA has been implementing flood mitigation efforts in several downtown stations. However, building plans are still be developed in areas that could again end up underwater, costing the city billions of dollars in lost expenses.

New Building Codes

In an effort to prevent the same problems that occurred in buildings, new building codes are being put into effect that require buildings to have emergency lighting in hallways and stairwells as well as working faucets on lower floors so higher-floor-living residents can get water in the event of a power outage. A huge part of the code changes is the raising building above the 100-year floodplain.

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