FOR BREAKING NEWS VISIT www.qns.com NOVEMBER 3, 2016 • THE COURIER SUN 3 Much more post-Sandy rebuilding to do Photo courtesy of the office of state Senator James Sanders Daniel T. Falt, Project Manager, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, New York District explains the tentatively selected plan to one of the attendees at the meeting. ROCKAWAY REMEMBERS SANDY FOUR YEARS LATER WITH MEMORIAL WALK & DISASTER PREP By Alexis Ramos editorial@qns.com/@QNS Four years after Hurricane Sandy destroyed homes, flooded streets and devastated the Rockaway Peninsula, residents gathered together last Friday, Oct. 28, for state Senator James Sanders’ annual Hurricane Sandy Remembrance and Recovery Walk. The event began with a ceremony at Rockaway Beach that brought community leaders and residents together to reflect and recognize what has been accomplished and what tasks are left to achieve. “Every year we come together to remember the sacrifices that have been made to repair the devastation caused by Hurricane Sandy,” Sanders said. “Although we have taken many steps forward, there are people who are still suffering. Many have been displaced. Many are still living in shelters. So part of our mission here today is to let them know that they have not been forgotten. We will continue to work together until everyone is made whole. We will remain strong, vigilant and unified as we move forward.” Attendees prevailed against the bitter cold to perform prayer, hold hands, sing songs and speak on the effects of Hurricane Sandy. There was a moment of silence for those who perished as a result of the hurricane as well as the homes that were destroyed. “We remember the families, those who have lost loved ones,” Pastor David Cockfield of Battalion Pentecostal Assembly Church, said as he prayed with those in attendance, asking them to hold hands, forming a circle of unity. “We remember this storm and how difficult it was. We remember those who are homeless. There was so much devastation.” After the ceremony, attendees walked the streets of Rockaway carrying a banner that read, “The Rockaway Community Welcomes You,” along with a wreath with the words remembrance and recovery. The walk was followed by a 2-hour disaster prep class. Some 250 residents registered for the class to learn about the tools and resources used in preparation for a any disaster. Each person received a certificate of completion and an emergency preparedness “to-go” bag containing a first-aid kit, duct tape, pocket radio and other useful tools. By Alexis Ramos editorial@qns.com/@QNS The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is still hard at work shoring up the Rockaway coastline more than four years after Hurricane Sandy’s storm surge ravaged it. Representatives of the corps and the state Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) presented the latest updated plans during a community meeting that state Senator James Sanders held on Oct. 25 at Macedonia Baptist Church in the Arverne section of the Rockaways. The plans focus on the Rockaway Peninsula, Broad Channel, the East Rockaway Inlet to Rockaway Inlet, and the Jamaica Bay Reformulation Study. There are four major components: addressing the shorefront, creating a storm surge barrier, implementing residual risk features and integrating additional elements tying into higher ground, according to Stephen Couch, chief of the Hurricane Sandy Planning Branch of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. Numerous residents attended the meeting to ask questions and provide feedback to the Army Corps’ proposal. Since the public comment period has been extended from Nov. 2 to Nov. 17, residents still have time to voice their concerns before the plan is finalized. Among the issues raised by residents at the meeting includes the impact on insurance rates, how the areas east of Beach Ninth Street are not included, and what is being done immediately in terms of flooding mitigation while residents wait for the construction to be completed. According to Couch, insurance rates have not yet been determined but are being studied; other areas to the east are being examined for cut off points; and New York City has a plan to strengthen vulnerable shorelines. “Continuous flooding during high tide and disastrous weather have been plaguing the Rockaway community for years,” Sanders said. “As someone who represents most of the Rockaways and as a lifelong resident here, it is important for me to ensure that everyone who will be affected by this critically important plan has his or her voice heard, and that the final version of the proposal is something that will best protect vulnerable areas from future storms.” The Army Corps plan is expected to be finalized in June 2017 with construction targeted to begin in 2019. Photo courtesy of the office of state Senator James Sanders Jr. The Annual Hurricane Sandy Remembrance and Recovery Walk began at Rockaway Beach and proceeded toward Battalion Pentecostal Assembly Church in Arverne.
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