Infrastructure protectionSandy Task Force issues sixty-nine rebuilding recommendations

The Hurricane Sandy Rebuilding Task Force, appointed by President Obama and chaired by Housing and Urban Development secretary Shaun Donovan,  last week release its much-anticipated report, in which it  lays out sixty-nine policy recommendations for improving areas affected by Hurricane Sandy last October.

USA Today notes that the report stressed the importance of investment in new and better construction to withstand increasingly dangerous storms and surges caused by climate change.

“More than ever, it is critical that when we build for the future, we do so in a way that makes communities more resilient to emerging challenges such as rising sea levels, extreme heat, and more frequent and intense storms,” the report said.

The report also highlighted the need to improve existing infrastructure to avoid power failures, communication networks collapse, and fuel shortages as experienced last October.

The report provides a series of guidelines for spending and allocation of the Congress-approved Sandy relief funds, and these guidelines have gained approval by elected officials and private organizations. Of the $50.5 billion approved by Congress in the Sandy aid package last January, about $9 billion has been spent. A portion of the money has been spent on cleaning up the New Jersey and New York shores, and rebuilding homes and businesses affected.

“We have cut red tape, piloted cutting-edge programs and strengthened our partnership with state and local officials,” said Obama, “While a great amount of work remains, we will stand with the region for as long as it takes to recover.”

Senator Kirsten Gillibrand (D-New York) said the task force work “will help get disaster relief into the hands of those who desperately need it, and lays the foundation for building a smarter and stronger city and nation.”

Albert Cho, vice president for strategy and business development for water company Xylem, told USA Today that the report addresses the issue of water, which he considers to be an under-appreciated storm threat. During Sandy, Xylem used large-scale industrial pumps to move water out of major flooded areas. Cho approves of the report’s call for cooperation among all levels of government and for the private sector to develop smart response systems that can save lives.

Donovan, the task force chair, said the report’s “rebuilding strategy” will help the New Jersey and New York areas rebuild in a way to help withstand future storms, and will “serve as models for communities across the country.”