Risk & Resiliency After Sandy
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Introduction
New York City at Risk
Risk & Resiliency After Sandy details findings of the New York Building Congress Task Force on New York City Storm Preparedness and exposes several important weaknesses in the City's storm preparations and response. The Task Force's recommendations, summarized below and itemized in Appendix A, focus on the need to improve emergency-planning and storm-preparedness oversight and harden the City's buildings as well as its critical utility and transportation infrastructure. The Task Force recommends that priorities for federal relief funds should include projects that focus on these core areas.
Superstorm Sandy's assault on New York City revealed four glaring needs: stronger and more redundant power and telecommunications grids; expanded and more resilient infrastructure; better building performance and design standards; and improved emergency-planning oversight and protocols. Deficiencies in these four areas were enough to cause unacceptable delays in response and recovery for critical facilities, businesses, and residents - despite the considerable efforts of public and private entities.
The New York Building Congress Task Force on New York City Storm Preparedness was formed by Chairman John Dionisio soon after the Storm to marshall the talents and experience of leaders in the building community to help New York City better prepare for severe weather emergencies. Richard Ravitch, New York State's former Lieutenant Governor, agreed to chair the Task Force and organized the formation of nine committees to develop recommendations in key areas related to improving the City's resiliency. As a whole, the Task Force comprises engineers, architects, contractors, developers, association and labor leaders, policymakers, and academics.
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The full report is available to Building Congress members only. For membership information click here.
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Risk and Resiliency After Sandy was prepared with the assistance of Editor Cathy A. DelliCarpini-Kruse, consultants Patricia J. Lancaster, Alfonso Lopez, Carol O'Cleireacain and Rosemary Scanlon, and the McGraw Hill Construction Custom Publishing Group. Funding for this report was provided in part by the New York Building Foundation Hurricane Sandy Recovery Fund.
