New York asks Army Corps of Engineers to make emergency repairs on coastal resiliency projects hit by nor'easter

New York State is asking the Army Corps of Engineers to conduct emergency repairs on coastal resiliency projects damaged by September’s nor’easter, Gov. Kathy Hochul announced Thursday.

The Sept. 25-28 storm caused widespread beach and dune erosion, sand loss and coastal flooding on Long Island, Newsday previously reported. The state’s request, made Wednesday by the Department of Environmental Conservation, seeks emergency assistance from the Army Corps to restore four coastal resiliency projects.

Those projects are Jones Inlet to East Rockaway Inlet (Long Beach), Fire Island to Montauk Point, Fire Island Inlet and Shores Westerly to Jones Inlet, and East Rockaway Inlet to Rockaway Inlet (Rockaway Beach) in Queens. Together, they help protect 105 miles of the South Shore coast from flooding and are jointly managed by the Army Corps, New York State and local governments.

"The damage sustained to these projects has left them weakened and vulnerable to failure if another major storm impacts the area before they are repaired," said Thomas Snow, director of the DEC's Bureau of Flood Protection and Dam Safety, in a letter to the Army Corps obtained by Newsday.

"The damage sustained to these projects exceeds what can be addressed through routine maintenance measures and will require significant intervention by USACE to restore them to their project design conditions," he added.

The letter described the storm's reported damage to coastal resiliency projects. For instance, Robert Moses State Park's beach lost an estimated 400,000 cubic yards of sand from erosion, while Gilgo Beach lost an estimated 135,000 cubic yards. In Long Beach, significant sand loss at a city beach created a 4-foot scarp and the loss of between 10 and 15 feet of dune.

Fire Island Pines sustained multiple wash-overs and widespread dune loss, with ocean water overtopping dunes and flowing toward bayside infrastructure, the letter said.

Out east, erosion damaged berms and dunes, creating new wash over locations and an estimated 12-foot scarp at beaches west of the Shinnecock Inlet, the letter said. Wave heights there peaked around 19 feet, and Suffolk County conducted emergency repairs to a damaged dune in the area, Newsday previously reported.

The letter did not provide an estimated cost for the repair work. The request was made under Public Law 84-99. That program is funded through the Flood Control and Coastal Emergencies appropriation, which this year was funded at $40 million.

Local officials told Newsday that federal assistance is key to quickly restoring beaches.

"Our [South Shore] communities in Islip took a real beating from September's nor'easter, and Governor Hochul's quick action to seek federal assistance shows she understands what is at stake for Long Island," Islip Supervisor Angie Carpenter, a Republican, said in a statement to Newsday.

East Hampton Supervisor Kathee Burke-Gonzalez, a Democrat, said the nor’easter caused at least $5 million in damage to the town’s coastline, including the engineered dune at Ditch Plains in Montauk.

"Our beaches, dunes, and waterfront infrastructure are essential to protecting our community, and we need strong partners at the state and federal levels to help us make these repairs and prepare for future storms," she said in a statement to Newsday.

The announcement follows Hochul’s request last week for President Donald Trump to issue a major disaster declaration for the nor'easter that would allow local governments and nonprofits to apply for relief funds from the Federal Emergency Management Agency and other federal agencies, Newsday previously reported. The federal government has not issued a disaster declaration for the storm as of Friday, FEMA’s website shows.

Politico recently reported that FEMA plans to shift more disaster recovery responsibility to state governments. The plan could shift a greater financial burden onto Long Island governments, Newsday has reported.

"I will continue to fight for federal assistance for Nassau and Suffolk Counties to help our communities recover and rebuild following this powerful storm," Hochul said in a statement.

Newsday's Sam Kmack contributed to this story.