Governor Hochul today at an event in Montauk announced increased resiliency efforts to protect Long Island from extreme storms. The Governor announced $2.5 million for the Ditch Plains Beach project to restore the beach and provide safe recreational space for residents and visitors. The funding is announced ahead of an anticipated ‘above average’ hurricane season and builds on the Governor’s comprehensive resilience plan to protect New Yorkers from extreme weather events.
“Protecting New Yorkers is my top priority, and that’s why we are making critical resiliency investments that ensure our communities, homes and infrastructure on Long Island are protected for decades to come," Governor Hochul said. “While we continue our nation-leading efforts to combat the climate crisis, we are safeguarding communities on Long Island from the extreme storms that continue to batter our coastline,”
Scheduled for this fall, after the peak summer period, this second phase of beach restoration efforts builds on work conducted by the Town of East Hampton earlier in the summer and will recover the dunes to protect the Ditch Plain neighborhood from breaches, flooding, and damage to homes and infrastructure. Dunes recovery will ensure the recovery of the coastline and will be completed by the engineering firm Coastal Science & Engineering, Inc.
Earlier in the summer, the Town of East Hampton selected Southampton Excavation and Site Development, LLC, to undertake sand replacement efforts on Ditch Plains Beach. That work was completed in June.
This funding is announced ahead of an anticipated ‘above average’ hurricane season. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) outlook for the 2024 Atlantic hurricane season, which spans from June 1 to November 30, predicts an 85% chance of an above-normal season, a 10 percent chance of a near-normal season and a 5 percent chance of a below-normal season. NOAA is forecasting a range of 17 to 25 total named storms (winds of 39 mph or higher). Of those, 8 to 13 are forecast to become hurricanes (winds of 74 mph or higher), including 4 to 7 major hurricanes (category 3, 4 or 5; with winds of 111 mph or higher). Forecasters have a 70 percent confidence in these ranges.
Governor Hochul has made preparing New Yorkers for expected storms a priority. This year’s budget allocated $15 million for the Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Services (DHSES) to assist local and county partners with protecting public infrastructure and mitigating the effects of weather events by helping supply generators, water pumps and flood barrier technology. An additional $10.4 million was allocated to the Office of Emergency Management to expand the State’s regional presence, increase local planning and training, provide additional tabletop exercises and build out analytic and geospatial capabilities.
Department of Environmental Conservation Interim Commissioner Sean Mahar said,“Governor Hochul’s sustained investments to stabilize and support Long Island’s coastal communities will help prevent future damage at Ditch Plains Beach and other vulnerable locations from climate change’s ongoing assault on our shorelines. DEC will continue to work with our partners at all levels of government to help increase storm resiliency, reduce the impacts of flooding, and provide communities with the resources necessary to protect residents, infrastructure, and habitat.”
Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Services Commissioner Jackie Bray said, “As we have seen this summer, severe weather is affecting New Yorkers across the State nearly every day. We are fortunate that Governor Hochul understands the devastation that comes to communities and their residents after a major storm and has responded with tools to help with recovery efforts that will help build resiliency. “
State Senator Anthony Palumbo said, “This funding is extremely important and needed to bolster Montauk's coastal resiliency against severe weather and reduce flooding. The Ditch Plains project has restored the area's beaches following catastrophic damage in recent storms and will provide greater protections for local residents from flooding and severe weather. I thank Governor Hochul, local, state and federal officials for their continued collaboration in getting this project done and delivering for the residents of Montauk.”
Assemblymember Fred W. Thiele said, “Long Island faces a direct threat from this year's busy hurricane season. Hurricane Debby's impacts are currently being felt from Florida to the Carolinas and beyond. It reminds us that the entire East Coast is at risk from extreme weather. I applaud the Governor for taking the lead to protect New Yorkers with her intelligent Comprehensive Resiliency Plan. I am pleased that the Governor has responded to the requests from the Town of East Hampton, Senator Palumbo, and myself to include Ditch Plains in that plan. Local governments cannot face these dangers alone. Today's partnership between state and local government will first and foremost improve public safety and also ensure that Montauk's popular beaches, which support our local economy, will be protected.”
Suffolk County Executive Ed Romaine said, “As we continue to try to preserve our coastline, only government partnership will help us move that forward. I thank the Governor and all of our other governmental partners for their assistance in this effort.”
Suffolk County Legislator Ann Welker said, “I applaud Governor Hochul’s announcement of resiliency efforts in the face of increasingly strong storms predicted for the 2024 hurricane season. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) forecast of between 17 and 25 named storms, an above normal number due to warmer than usual ocean temperatures, creates increased threats of coastal erosion and flooding for the beaches of South Fork, as well as the rest of Long Island’s shoreline. However, for Long Island beaches the threats to erosion are greater during the nor’easter season, typically during the winter months. This was the case during the 2023/2024 winter season when back to back nor’easters ripped sand off the downtown Montauk beaches, as well as the Ditch Plains beach. Fortunately, the Army Corps of Engineers (ACOE) beach renourishment for downtown Montauk was well timed and shored up the downtown beach during the late winter months. Ditch Plains, an extremely popular beach, was not part of the ACOE plan. The Town of East Hampton has contributed significant financial resources to stabilize the beach and dune system, to protect the nearly 400 homes that lie just landward of the beach at Ditch Plains. Governor Hochul’s attention to coastal resiliency is critically important and greatly appreciated by all residents of the East End and our many visitors, as our miles of sandy beaches are an enormous economic driver for the region.”
Town of East Hampton Supervisor Kathee Burke-Gonzalez said, “On behalf of Town residents, I wish to express our deepest gratitude to Governor Kathy Hochul for her steadfast commitment to this community and her proactive approach to climate change. Again, and again Governor Hochul’s leadership and support have been crucial in advancing our coastal resiliency efforts, and her dedication to preserving our beaches has been unwavering. The importance of this funding cannot be overstated; it ensures that we can effectively restore Ditch Plains Beach, a cornerstone of Montauk, and protect our neighborhoods from the increasing threats of climate change. This investment is not just about safeguarding our beautiful beach, an economic driver for our community, but also about securing the future of the homes surrounding it. Thank you, Governor Hochul, and your team, for your persistent support and dedication to this essential cause and our Town.”
Executive Director of the Concerned Citizens of Montauk Kay Tyler said, “Concerned Citizens of Montauk (CCOM) joins our government and community partners to celebrate today’s great win, which is in addition to FIMP’s massive sand replenishment of our downtown beaches this spring. For more than 50 years, CCOM fought for Montauk’s land, waters, coastline and environment, and since Superstorm Sandy, CCOM has helped lead coastal resiliency efforts here. Huge gratitude to Governor Hochul and the DEC for recognizing that the problem of rapidly rising seas and increased frequency of destructive storms requires significant investment, and that sand replenishment is the first step to a long-term need for coastal adaptation for sustainable planning in Montauk. CCOM stands ready as a community partner to advance that necessary work.”
Montauk Chamber of Commerce President Leo Daunt said, “At a time of deep division nationally, we can all agree that protecting our natural assets is of the utmost importance. Sea level rise and the increasing frequency of heavy storms are an incredible threat to everyone that lives, works, and vacations in Montauk. The governor's presence in Montauk, as well as her recent work in ensuring that the FIMP project was completed downtown, re-assures our community that the state is standing alongside us to face the incredible task of dealing with climate change. The Chamber looks forward to being a partner in addressing the immense challenge of climate change, uniting the community to find solutions, and contributing time and resources to implement them. Thank you to Governor Hochul for your commitment and recognition of how vital it is to keep ditch plains and Montauk vital and strong.”
Today’s announcement builds on recent efforts to protect Long Island from extreme storms. Earlier this week, Governor Hochul, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, U.S. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, and U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand announced the award of a federally funded contract for emergency repairs to a damaged coastal storm risk management project on Fire Island in Suffolk County. A $52 million contract was awarded on August 5 to Great Lakes Dredge and Dock Company of Houston, Texas, for the work necessary to protect Long Island’s South Shore communities.
Governor Hochul’s Comprehensive Resiliency Plan to Protect New Yorkers
Earlier this year, Governor Hochul announced a comprehensive resiliency plan to protect New Yorkers from extreme weather as part of her 2024 State of the State. Highlights include:
- Creating the ‘Resilient & Ready’ Program to establish a flexible fund to support resiliency efforts for low- and moderate-income homeowners ahead of future storms. The program will enable State Homes and Community Renewal (HCR) to assist households that experience flood damage to make necessary repairs in the aftermath of storms and will cover the cost of proactive flood mitigation improvements.
- Creating the Blue Buffers Voluntary Buyout Program with $250 million included in the 2024-25 FY Enacted Budget to encourage buyouts in communities most vulnerable to flooding. The program will prioritize outreach and education first and then begin identifying voluntary projects based on the level of flood risk, ensuring we protect our communities that are most vulnerable to high water and storm surges.
- Making major investments in statewide disaster response to put more boots on the ground, improve training and preparedness, and address evolving threats as they come.
- Update Coastal Erosion Hazard Area (CEHA) Maps, which are essential to the protection of beaches, dunes, and bluffs that maintain and enhance flood resilience, so that communities and permit applicants can quickly determine if a property is within a CEHA.
The voter-approved $4.2-billion Clean Water, Clean Air and Green Jobs Environmental Bond Act is helping to support these and many other initiatives, including leveraging funding for water quality improvement and resilient infrastructure. The Bond Act is advancing historic levels of funding to update aging water infrastructure and protect water quality, strengthen communities' ability to withstand severe storms and flooding, reduce air pollution and lower climate-altering emissions, restore habitats, and preserve outdoor spaces and local farms. Disadvantaged Communities will receive at least 35 percent of the benefits of Bond Act funding, with a goal of 40 percent. For more information about the Bond Act, go to www.ny.gov/BondAct.