N.Y. Requests Emergency Army Corps Repairs for Storm-Damaged Long Island Coast

New York State has formally requested that the Army Corps of Engineers perform emergency repairs on four coastal resiliency projects damaged by the nor’easter that struck in late September. Governor Kathy Hochul announced the request on Thursday, following a submission made Wednesday by the state Department of Environmental Conservation.

The storm, which ran from September 25 to 28, caused widespread erosion of beaches and dunes, resulting in sand loss and coastal flooding across Long Island. The state’s request covers four specific areas: Jones Inlet to East Rockaway Inlet in Long Beach, Fire Island to Montauk Point, Fire Island Inlet and Shores Westerly to Jones Inlet, and East Rockaway Inlet to Rockaway Inlet in Queens. Together, these projects protect 105 miles of the South Shore coast and are jointly managed by the Army Corps, the state, and local governments.

Thomas Snow, director of the DEC's Bureau of Flood Protection and Dam Safety, stated in a letter to the Army Corps that the damage has left the projects weakened and vulnerable to failure if another major storm hits before repairs are completed. Snow noted that the extent of the damage exceeds what routine maintenance can address and requires significant intervention to restore the projects to their design conditions.

The letter details specific losses at several locations. At Robert Moses State Park, erosion removed an estimated 400,000 cubic yards of sand. Gilgo Beach lost an estimated 135,000 cubic yards. In Long Beach, sand loss created a 4-foot scarp and removed between 10 and 15 feet of dune. Fire Island Pines sustained multiple wash-overs, with ocean water overtopping dunes and flowing toward bay-side infrastructure.

Further east, erosion damaged berms and dunes, creating new wash-over locations and an estimated 12-foot scarp at beaches west of Shinnecock Inlet. Wave heights in that area peaked around 19 feet. Suffolk County has already conducted emergency repairs to a damaged dune in that region.

The request was filed under Public Law 84-99, a program funded through the Flood Control and Coastal Emergencies appropriation. This year’s appropriation is $40 million. The letter does not provide a total cost estimate for the repair work. Local officials say federal assistance is necessary to restore the beaches quickly.

Angie Carpenter, the Republican Supervisor of Islip, said her communities took a severe hit from the storm and that the governor’s action demonstrates an understanding of the stakes for Long Island. Kathee Burke-Gonzalez, the Democratic Supervisor of East Hampton, said the storm caused at least $5 million in damage to the town’s coastline, including the engineered dune at Ditch Plains in Montauk.

Burke-Gonzalez emphasized that beaches, dunes, and waterfront infrastructure are essential for community protection and that strong state and federal partners are needed for repairs and future preparation. Hochul said she will continue to fight for federal assistance for Nassau and Suffolk Counties to help communities recover and rebuild.

This request follows Hochul’s ask last week for President Donald Trump to issue a major disaster declaration for the nor’easter. Such a declaration would allow local governments and nonprofits to apply for relief funds from the Federal Emergency Management Agency and other agencies. As of Friday, FEMA’s website showed that no disaster declaration had been issued for the storm.

Politico recently reported that FEMA plans to shift more disaster recovery responsibility to state governments. Newsday previously reported that this plan could shift a greater financial burden onto Long Island governments. Sam Kmack of Newsday contributed to the reporting.