DisastersSuperstorm Sandy relief effort plagued by flaws similar to those of past recovery efforts
The reconstruction effort in New Jersey following the devastation of Superstorm Sandy is plagued by some of the same mistakes characterizing other recovery efforts of the past decade. Many of the same outfits that faced trouble in Louisiana following Hurricane Katrina in 2005 and in Texas during Hurricane Ike in 2008 are now operating in the New Jersey area. Thousands of frustrated homeowners in the state are still waiting for the assistance they were promised.
The reconstruction effort in New Jersey following the devastation of Superstorm Sandy is plagued by some of the same mistakes characterizing other recovery efforts of the past decade.
As Emergency Management reports, many of the same outfits that faced trouble in Louisiana following Hurricane Katrina in 2005 and in Texas during Hurricane Ike in 2008 are now operating in the New Jersey area. Thousands of frustrated homeowners in the state are still waiting for the assistance they were promised.
Dr. Irwin Redlener, director of the National Center for Disaster Preparedness at Columbia University’s Earth Institute, told EM, “There’s something very badly wrong with everything about our capability to recover from large-scale disasters. It’s just hair-raising that the same outfits that were in trouble in Louisiana continue to get work in this field.”
This is likely due the enormous payouts from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), which has pledged $120 billion for direct cleanup, aid to cities, and grants to the victims of the disaster. Additionally, critics argue that contractors often operate with little local, state, or federal oversight.
“Nobody does a particularly good job of it, and everybody keeps hiring them,” said Brad Gair, an emergency management consultant who ran Sandy recovery programs in New York City.
Among these companies are CDM Smith of Cambridge, Massachusetts, ICF Inc. of Fairfax, Virginia, and Hammerman & gainer Inc. of New Orleans, Louisiana, all of which have a lagging reputation for work in other states within the past decade.
These companies, however, have also weighed in on the controversy. Steve Anderson, a spokesman for ICF, claimed that the company was forced to work “under enormous time pressure” to distribute its $8 billion federal grant and managed according. “We consider that a success story,” he added.
New Jersey governor Chris Christie has also added his voice in support of many of the contractors.
He reminded citizens during a 20 February town hall meeting that “hiring contractors was better than adding more state employees.” He also added that recent progress was a sign of a shift, “If what you’re hoping for is that every decision that’s made regarding billions of dollars is going to be made perfectly the first time, then, you know, your expectations are not where they need to be.”
