Flood Barrier USA

Critically Important Infrastructure Left Unprotected

Author: Flood Expert Donna Conneely

As the hard-hit states of New Jersey and New York continue to make progress on their efforts to recover from Hurricane Sandy, new information suggests almost criminal negligence and poor decision-making in the days leading up to the storm. There are many examples of critical infrastructure having been left unprotected, or stored in places almost guaranteed to flood.

Incredibly, the state of New Jersey placed most of its commuter trains in a low-lying area that did not have flood barriers. This equipment had been only recently purchased, at a cost to the taxpayers of almost $385 million. Nevertheless, it was placed in a low-elevation rail-yard in preparation for the storm, and the yard flooded badly, unimpeded by flood panels or any other type of protection. This decision was made in spite of the fact that pre-flood predictions indicated that the rail-yard would be submerged by 10 to 13 foot surges. One third of the fleet was badly damaged as a result of this inexplicable decision.

CCTV footage of flooding at Hoboken and Exchange Place. Video courtesy of The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey.

 

Many are questioning why vital equipment and facilities are being left unprotected in this era of ever-increasing storm activity. It is a fact that budgets are tight and there is little money for installation of flood protection devices, but the costs of repair and replacement of expensive equipment are considerably higher than prudent prevention measures, which will serve for many years into the future.

In addition to the newly-purchased commuter trains that were badly damaged, there are many more examples of critical infrastructure having been left unprotected. Many electrical substations are situated underground, beneath the streets. And yet, there were no flood panels in place to prevent the storm surge from roaring in!

Many substations were completely submerged, and were destroyed or badly damaged as a result. Due to the damage to these substations, many thousands of citizens were left without power for weeks.

When one thinks of New York, the City’s massive subway system almost immediately comes to mind. This system, with its many miles of underground tunnels and pedestrian entrances sprinkled throughout the metropolis, is extremely vulnerable to flooding. And yet, there is no integrated system of flood barriers in place to prevent floodwaters from rushing down the steps into the system.

Hurricane Sandy was a massive storm that would have caused major damage in even the best of scenarios. But more such storms loom in the future, and it is extremely important that major cities in flood-prone areas invest in flood protection rather than simply repairing massive damage over and over again. In the coming years, the prevention of repeated flood damage is absolutely mandatory.

This entry was posted on Tuesday, February 19th, 2013 at 12:04 pm and is filed under Flood Protection. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.