Five new flood prevention and storm resiliency projects are underway on the South Shore of Nassau County, government officials announced on Tuesday.
More than $20 million in construction aims to protect thousands of homes and businesses from future storm surges and flooding, state and county officials said. The projects, funded by the Governor’s Office of Storm Recovery (GOSR), arrive after the remnants of Hurricane Ida dumped record inches of rain on New York in early September.
“Building our infrastructure safer, stronger, and smarter is a top priority before the next disaster strikes,” said Nassau County Executive Laura Curran. “These investments in hardening our infrastructure will help protect thousands of lives and millions of dollars’ worth of property. We’re thankful to Gov. Kathy Hochul and GOSR for providing the county with the needed resources for these critical projects.”
Officials from GOSR joined Curran, State Sen. Todd Kaminsky (D-Long Beach), Assemblywoman Judy Griffin (D-Rockville Centre), and County Legislator Debra Mulé at Silver Lake Park to announce the projects.
Construction has already begun at the park in Baldwin. About $1.95 million of renovations are expected to be completed by 2022. Improvements will include elevating the existing perimeter walkway, reinforcing outlook areas with brick pavers, and reinforcing the shoreline with bulkheads, natural boulders, and vegetation. Also, self-regulating tidal gates will be installed at the lake’s southern end to regulate water flow and prevent tidal surges from flooding the park and surrounding area.
“New York is leading on resiliency by prioritizing community-driven projects developed from a grassroots recovery process,” said Eileen Méus, Deputy Executive Director for Community Reconstruction and Infrastructure at GOSR. “We are excited to partner with Nassau County to implement the state’s investment in infrastructure that will improve drainage and water quality across the South Shore.”
Other projects that break ground this month, to be completed in 2022, include pipe improvements in Lawrence, reconstruction of drainage systems in Bay Park and East Rockaway, a brand-new stormwater pumping station in Cedarhurst, and drainage improvements in Lido Beach and Point Lookout.
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