12 JUNE 8, 2017 RIDGEWOOD TIMES WWW.QNS.COM EDITORIAL Queens can’t ride out the storm alone This October, Queens residents THE HOT TOPIC STORY: Off -duty offi cer from East Elmhurst and his girlfriend are busted for selling cocaine in Long Island City SUMMARY: A police offi cer and his girlfriend were arrested last week aft er selling cocaine to an undercover offi cer in Long Island City, offi cials said. REACH: 40,041 people (as of 6/5/17) COMMENTS: ESTABLISHED 1908 Co-Publishers VICTORIA SCHNEPS-YUNIS JOSHUA SCHNEPS Editor-in-Chief ROBERT POZARYCKI Classifi ed Manager DEBORAH CUSICK Assistant Classifi ed Manager MARLENE RUIZ Reporter ANTHONY GIUDICE © 2017 SCHNEPS NY MEDIA, LLC. General Publication Offi ce: 38-15 Bell Blvd., Bayside, NY 11361 TELEPHONE: 1-718-821-7500/7501/7502/7503 FAX: 1-718-224-5441 E-MAIL: editorial@ridgewoodtimes.com WEB SITE: www.qns.com ON TWITTER @ridgewoodtimes PUBLISHED EVERY THURSDAY FOR 108 YEARS COMPOSITION RESPONSIBILITY: Accuracy in receiving ads over the telephone cannot be guaranteed. This newspaper is responsible for only one incorrect insertion and only for that portion of the ad in which the error appears. It is the responsibility of the advertiser to make sure copy does not contravene the Consumer Protection Law or any other requirement.TIMES NEWSWEEKLY Is Listed With The Standard Rate & Data And Is A Member Of The New York Press Association SNAPS RAINBOW BRIGHT IN JACKSON HEIGHTS PHOTO BY WALTER KARLING Send us your photos of Queens and you could see them online or in our paper! Submit them to us tag @queenscourier on Instagram, Facebook page, tweeting @QNS or by emailing editorial@qns.com (subject: Queens Snaps). will mark the fi ft h anniversary of the superstorm known as Hurricane Sandy. Though it made landfall near Atlantic City, NJ, Sandy’s high winds and surf wrought incredible devastation across the Rockaways, Howard Beach, Broad Channel and other parts of New York City. It took homeowners months, if not years, to rebuild; even as this milestone approaches, there are some who have yet to fully rebuild and recover. Even so, the climate is changing (though some may deny that), and the risk that we’ll be hit with another storm of Sandy’s caliber remains. June 1 marked the start of the Atlantic hurricane season — prime time for tropical storms that could endanger the East Coast of the U.S. Except for Sandy, a major hurricane (defi ned by the National Hurricane Center as a storm with winds in excess of 110 mph) hasn’t hit our shores in 12 years. All streaks eventually break. America’s eventually getting another big hurricane; our area will eventually face another hurricane or superstorm comparable to Sandy. It’s critical for the federal government to not only respond to such an eventuality aft er it happens, but to also be prepared to deal with a big storm before it strikes. As of June 1, there’s still no one in charge of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), which played a major role in responding to Sandy fi ve years ago. There’s also no one in charge of the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), which oversees the National Weather Service and the National Hurricane Center, both of which monitor all kinds of coastal storms. The president appoints the heads of FEMA and NOAA; as of now, President Trump’s nominee for FEMA director is awaiting a confi rmation hearing and a vote in the Senate. The president has not nominated anyone to head up the NOAA. It’s unconscionable that neither of these agencies have an appointed leader at the start of what could be a very active hurricane season. It’s also a troubling sign that the federal government may neither adequately prepare for, nor properly respond to a major catastrophe. What will the reaction be if the Rockaways get hammered by another superstorm, and the federal government doesn’t respond quickly and appropriately? This city and state, wealthy as they are, are ill-equipped to respond to such an emergency on their own; the people aff ected cannot rebuild their lives on charity alone. We urge our elected officials in Washington to step up their eff orts to have new leadership in place as soon as possible at FEMA and the NOAA. Queens cannot afford a failure in leadership in Washington when the next big emergency hits.
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