Today, Congressman Jerrold Nadler (D-NY), representative of Brooklyn and Lower Manhattan communities hit hard by Hurricane Sandy, and the senior Northeastern Member on the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, explored the Northeast’s preparedness for Hurricane Sandy in a hearing in that Committee – “A Review of the Preparedness, Response To and Recovery From Hurricane Sandy.”  Nadler shared with his colleagues firsthand observations of gaps in emergency response and recovery in New York, and called the storm a serious wakeup call for the nation to make critical changes and investments.  Nadler is the sponsor of a bipartisan House Resolution pledging support for victims of Sandy around the country.

“Hurricane Sandy should be a major wake up call,” said Nadler.  “When disaster strikes, our densely populated urban areas and economic centers must be able to recover quickly.  If we are going to invest billions of dollars in rebuilding storm ravaged areas, we should do so in a way that will protect people from future storms.  And we have every reason to believe that a major storm will threaten us again.  The devastation and chaos brought by Hurricane Sandy have had a lasting impact on our city and region, and the lives of thousands of New Yorkers are still upside down.  But if we all stand together we can rebuild quickly, stronger, and better than before.”

The following is the text of Nadler’s opening statement, as prepared:

“Thank you, Chairman Mica and Ranking Member Rahall, for holding this hearing on the devastating effects of Hurricane Sandy, and the federal response and recovery efforts.  I currently represent New York’s Eighth Congressional District, which includes Lower Manhattan, and the Brooklyn waterfront communities of Red Hook, Sea Gate and Coney Island, all of which were hit hard by the storm.

“In Sea Gate, Brooklyn, waterfront homes were washed away by the storm surge, and the Coney Island boardwalk district was severely damaged.  Buildings in low lying areas suffered significant flooding, and people in several parts of the city lost power, including everything below 34^th Street in Manhattan.  The loss of power and shutdown of the transit system also meant that many businesses were forced to close for several days losing operating revenue in addition to any physical damage that might have been sustained.  

“Although the emergency response agencies worked nonstop to get the city back up and running, there were gaps in the recovery operations, and there are many challenges that remain, particularly for a dense urban area like New York.  Our transportation system is too vulnerable.  Our infrastructure is older and harder to replace.  The power grid runs more than just lights and computers; it also powers heat and water in the high rises all over the city.  And it operates the elevators that the elderly and disabled rely upon to escape their homes when they become unsafe.

“Although FEMA and the National Guard set up distribution centers around the city, in many cases people were unable to leave their apartments to pick up supplies and deliveries didn’t make it to every building. My office, along with other local electeds, organized volunteers, collected supplies and hand delivered blankets, water and food to people stuck in high-rises.  Lugging goods up flights of stairs is no easy task and it is better left to trained professionals.  But if we hadn’t done it, with the help of kids from NYU and other good Samaritans, many people probably wouldn’t have received any help.  This is just one example, but I fear it illustrates the particular challenges of an urban setting that our emergency response agencies are ill equipped to handle, or at least haven’t had to contemplate on a scale of this magnitude. 

“Another particular challenge in New York is the lack of available hotels and rental units for displaced storm victims.  FEMA has issued millions of dollars for transitional housing and temporary rental assistance, but vacancies are hard to find, and the reimbursement rates are often too low for whatever is available.  FEMA is working hard to address these issues, but the lack of a viable long term housing plan is one of the biggest challenges we face going forward.  All levels of government need to work together to solve this problem.  Our most basic responsibility is to ensure that people have a safe place to stay following the storm, and yet it is the biggest question for which we have no answer.

“For people who can stay in their homes, we are hearing increasing reports about possible environmental contamination from toxic mold, sewage or other hazardous substances.  Although there are some resources available to assist with the cleanup, in many cases it is inadequate, particularly for those living and working in densely populated buildings that share common spaces and HVAC systems.  Given New York’s recent history with environmental hazards caused by the collapse of the World Trade Center, we know all too well the danger presented by indoor contamination.  We must not repeat the same mistakes of 9/11 by leaving people to their own devices to cleanup complex toxins without proper guidance or assistance from the federal government.  I have asked that the Environmental Protection Agency conduct or oversee comprehensive testing to ensure that people’s homes and workspaces are safe to inhabit, and I urge my colleagues to join in that request.

“I am also concerned that OSHA rules are not always being followed, and that many cleanup workers are not being given proper protective equipment.  This is another mistake from 9/11 that is too often repeated in response to disasters, and I have asked OSHA to ensure that its rules are adequately enforced.

“State and City agencies estimate the cost to repair the damage caused by Hurricane Sandy will be at least $40 billion, and I believe that is just for New York.  Last week, Governor Cuomo announced it will take $32.8 billion for repairs and restorations, and $9.1 billion to protect the electrical grid, transportation infrastructure and communications network from future storms.  For the MTA alone, it will take over $5 billion just to restore the tunnels, tracks, stations and other assets damaged in the storm, such as the Queens Midtown Tunnel, the East River tunnels, the South Ferry and Whitehall station, and the Rockaway Line to name a few.  That is on top of the over $250 million in lost revenue and operating expenses.  The Port Authority has estimated losses of over $841 million, including $350 million to replace equipment and pump out water at the World Trade Center site.

“Within New York City, the Mayor estimates public and private losses total $19 billion, including $4.5 billion by City agencies, $4.8 billion in uninsured private losses, and $5.7 billion in lost gross product from business closures.  For many small businesses, who were already operating on a thin profit margin, or who are only now paying off loans from 9/11, the SBA loan program will not suffice.  We will need to provide grants or some form of direct aid, as we did after 9/11, if we want these businesses to survive.

“With costs this high, New York State and New York City, like its counterparts in the region, cannot shoulder this burden alone, and the standard FEMA reimbursement process will not work.  The State and the City do not have billions of dollars sitting in their coffers to fund repairs, and FEMA reimbursement is slow and cumbersome.  In fact, New York is still waiting on payment for Hurricane Irene, and I’m sure many of you have had similar experiences in your states.  That is why we will be requesting that the Hurricane Sandy supplemental be distributed through the various agencies in direct aid to affected areas, as we have done at times to expedite recovery.  And we must pass an emergency supplemental without requiring offsets as some have suggested in past disasters.  As the current debate over the pending sequestration shows, finding offsets is no easy task, and it makes no sense.  It defies the very nature of emergency aid, and it impedes the federal government from doing its most important job – protecting its citizens when calamity strikes.

“It will be expensive to rebuild, but we must, and it would be foolish not to do so with the next storm in mind, which will undoubtedly come.  We must fortify our shorelines and seawalls and better protect low lying areas from storm surge.  I expect the Army Corps to finally construct the Coney Island shorefront protection project.  It is fully funded, the local match is secured, and it was ready to go out to bid this summer.  The Corps must move forward as originally intended without delay, but frankly, that is the bare minimum we could do and it is not enough.  We should invest in research and explore technologies to better protect our road and rail tunnels from flooding.  We should allow the MTA to upgrade its aging transit system rather than require it use federal funds to replace a 70 year old switching system to pre-storm conditions.  And we must have a better plan for restoring power lines and gas supplies.

“Hurricane Sandy should be a major wake up call.  When disaster strikes, our densely populated urban areas and economic centers must be able to recover quickly.  If we are going to invest billions of dollars in rebuilding storm ravaged areas, we should do so in a way that will protect people from future storms.  And we have every reason to believe that a major storm will threaten us again.  The devastation and chaos brought by Hurricane Sandy have had a lasting impact on our city and region, and the lives of thousands of New Yorkers are still upside down.  But if we all stand together we can rebuild quickly, stronger, and better than before.

“Thank you for holding this hearing, and I look forward to hearing from the witnesses.”

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