Governor’s Office of Storm Recovery Announces Completion of Flood Resiliency Improvements on Long Island
The Governor’s Office of Storm Recovery (GOSR) today announced the completion of two projects to improve resiliency, manage water flow, and prevent flooding in the Suffolk County village of Babylon on Long Island, which was hard-hit by Superstorm Sandy when more than 2,000 homes were substantially damaged.
GOSR invested $7.3 million to install flood and stormwater infrastructure within the Carlls River watershed and $1.4 million to install flood mitigation devices throughout the village.
GOSR Executive Director Katie Brennan said, “These projects are an important investment in Babylon that will guard against future flooding and keep critical infrastructure safe for residents. We are proud that our grassroots community-driven process is helping communities adapt to a changing climate and ensure they are better prepared for the next major storm.”
Resiliency measures included redesigned culverts and new drainage systems to get stormwater off the street quicker, and new sluice gates to form a barrier to protect against flooding during potential future storm surges. These measures were implemented following a 2016 study by the Town of Babylon.
Check valves were also installed at key intersections along Bayview Avenue, Fire Island Avenue, Shore Drive, Montauk Highway, and other thoroughfares. In addition, new bulkheads were constructed in existing storm drains to help prevent wastewater or stormwater from backflowing into the drainage system during high tides and causing floods. Improved stormwater treatment will reduce pollution in the Carlls River, improve water quality, enhance wildlife habitat, and protect open space.
“I’m proud to see these important projects completed along the Babylon Village shoreline. We must continue to be vigilant and proactive against future environmental changes by upgrading our infrastructure. Thank you to the Governor for her partnership in this endeavor,” said Assemblyman Michael Durso.
“It’s been 10 years since Superstorm Sandy devastated the south shore of Suffolk County. The completion of these projects helps to ensure that some of our most vulnerable coastal areas are protected against future storm damage,” said Suffolk County Executive Steve Bellone. “We must continue to protect and restore these areas because it’s not a matter of if another storm will occur, but a matter of when. I would like to thank New York State for continuing to invest in the future of Suffolk County.”
Babylon Town Supervisor Rich Schaffer said "The Village of Babylon was one of the areas hardest hit by Sandy and these projects will go a long way in helping to mitigate flooding during future storms. We thank the Governor's Office of Storm Recovery for making these critical investments in our community."
Mary Adams, Mayor of the Village of Babylon, said, “It is important to ensure that our resiliency and prevention of flooding in our waterfront community is a top priority and that every measure that can be taken is taken to ensure safety of our residents, their quality of life and our sustainability as a community. Improving the infrastructure of Babylon Village with added flood preventatives and drainage measures in place also protects our environment and wildlife. I thank the Governor’s Office of Storm Recovery in the overseeing and final completion of this project.”
About GOSR
Established in June 2013, GOSR coordinates statewide recovery efforts for Superstorm Sandy, Hurricane Irene, and Tropical Storm Lee. More recently, GOSR is also coordinating recovery and resiliency efforts for Hurricane Ida.
In October 2022, Governor Kathy Hochul announced the creation of the Office of Resilient Homes and Communities, which will assume GOSR’s portfolio.
Through its NY Rising Housing Recovery, Small Business, Community Reconstruction, Infrastructure, and Rebuild by Design programs, GOSR invests $4.5 billion in federal Community Development Block Grant-Disaster Recovery (CDBG-DR) funding to better prepare New York for extreme weather events. The agency is also leveraging Community Development Block Grant-Coronavirus (CDBG-CV) funds to implement resiliency initiatives More information about GOSR and its programs is available at http://stormrecovery.ny.gov.
Through the NY Rising Community Reconstruction (NYRCR) and Infrastructure Programs, the State takes on a variety of initiatives developed during its bottom-up community planning process to improve resiliency, protect critical infrastructure, mitigate the risks of loss and damage associated with future disasters, and reduce hardship. Now in the implementation stage, GOSR works with a variety of municipal, county, and non-profit partners to bring hundreds of locally devised proposals to fruition.