South Shore flood study wins funds

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When it rains or snows, it floods. At least that’s what happens if you live in one of Nassau County’s bay back communities that endure flooding not just during events like Hurricane Sandy, but in most heavy rain or snowstorms with high tide cycles. These communities stretch from Long Beach and the Five Towns north to Island Park and Oceanside, and east along the South Shore from Baldwin to Massapequa.

On Feb. 10, U.S. Senator Charles Schumer announced that the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers will deliver $200,000 in federal funding to the Nassau Back Bays resiliency study. Schumer said these federal funds will zero-in on specific coastal protections to help shield South Shore communities from another Sandy.

Just two days earlier, Schumer, Hempstead Town Supervisor Anthony Santino and Freeport Deputy Mayor Jorge Martinez urged the Corps to release funds for the project, a study that would recommend ways in which to alleviate flooding and best shield South Shore communities from another Sandy.

“I said it before and I’ll say it again: Nassau’s Back Bays project is, quite simply, a must-fund,” said Schumer. “I applaud the Army Corps for heeding the call and validating this project as a major priority so that Long Island’s South Shore communities are better protected and more resilient in the future. Today, the Nassau Back Bay feasibility study sets sail and the work we so desperately require will soon begin. We must make sure the vulnerabilities to our South Shore communities are addressed in the event of a future storm and this funding will help get that job done.”

An additional $7 million in federal funding for “flood and storm damage reduction” is available in the Army Corps’ investigation account, Schumer explained. “The Nassau County Back Bays study is first on their list,” he said.

“The money is there. I have met with the Army Corps and told them this is a priority,” Schumer said on Monday. “We don’t want to wait.” The study, which should take about a year or so to complete, will cost $500,000, Schumer said.