Shumer Urges FEMA to Approve Project on Nissequogue River

LongIsland.com

Over 900 homes are affected by a recurring flooding problem on the river.

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Senator Charles Schumer made a statement on Friday, urging the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to approve Suffolk County’s application for hazard mitigation grants. The grants would go towards a restoration project on the Nissequogue River.

Over 900 homes experience damages as a result of the recurring flooding problems on the Nissequogue River. The project would help mitigate the groundwater flooding in the area of Miller’s Pond and the northeast branch of the river.

Funding through FEMA’s hazard mitigation grant would improve storm water infrastructure.

“The cheapest way to deal with flood damage is to prevent it in the first place. Nearly one-thousand homes have been impacted by the recurring flooding of Nissequogue River and this restoration project is vital in ensuring this problem be put to an end,” Schumer stated.

“It’s time for FEMA to approve funding for this much-needed project and deliver long-term relief to the residents of the Town and Village,” said Suffolk County Legislator John M. Kennedy, Jr.

Under Section 406 of the Stafford Act, FEMA can supply aid to implement resiliency measures preventing damages from a major disaster. Without these grants, FEMA would normally provide enough funds for a community to rebuild using the same specifications as the original structure following a major disaster.

According to a 1980 study, the area surrounding the Northeast Branch is one of the worst areas for shallow groundwater flooding in Suffolk County. This is due to a severe drought in the 1960s, during which a major developmental boom took place in the area. When precipitation returned to normal in the area during the late 1960s and early 1970s, hundreds of home and businesses felt the effects of groundwater flooding.

The Northeast Branch of the Nissequogue River drains storm water and groundwater from its watershed. As sediment and debris piles up in the stream, the waterway becomes blocked and its capacity to convey groundwater away from the area becomes limited.

The proposed project would cost an estimated $1.1 million. Streambed restoration and silt removal would be part of the project.

[Source: Charles E. Schumer]