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Pump Train in Cranberry Street Tunnel after Hurricane Sandy. MTA New York City Transit / Leonard Wiggins / Wikimedia
In 2012, Superstorm Sandy wreaked havoc on New York City’s transportation system. Storm surge pushed a flood of seawater into vehicle tunnels, railyards, ferry terminals, and subway lines.
“Hurricane Sandy was a big wake-up call for the city,” says Susanne DesRoches, New York’s deputy director of infrastructure and energy.
For example, the city has installed huge floodgates at the entrances of two tunnels. A steel floodwall will soon protect the Coney Island railyard, and the city’s working on ways to seal off subway station entrances and vents.
It’s a multi-billion-dollar effort, but DesRoches says the next time a natural disaster hits, New York expects to be better prepared.
Reposted with permission from Yale Climate Connections.
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