New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie takes questions at a town hall meeting last week in Toms River, N.J. “I never promised you, nor would I, that this was going to be mistake-free,” he said of delivering aid after Superstorm Sandy. (Mel Evans / Associated Press / March 4, 2014)

With many homeowners still waiting for help, officials including Gov. Chris Christie – already battered by the George Washington Bridge scandal – have been accused of incompetence or even favoritism in delivering federal recovery money.

latimes.com - by Joseph Tanfani - March 12, 2014

POMONA, N.J. — His state wrecked and reeling from Superstorm Sandy, Chris Christie made himself the face of New Jersey's comeback effort with a take-charge tour de force that became a cornerstone of an expected run for president.

rockefellerfoundation.org - October 28, 2013

One year after Hurricane Sandy hit, 10 teams of international design and resiliency experts released their ideas for ways to make the region more resilient to future storms and other climate events. The Design Teams are participating in Rebuild by Design, an initiative of the President’s Hurricane Sandy Rebuilding Task Force and sponsored by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) to rebuild the region impacted by Hurricane Sandy. The ideas – 41 in total – target communities across the region impacted by Hurricane Sandy: from the Jersey Shore to Lower Manhattan, Newtown Creek to Jamaica Bay and Rockaway, and Nassau County to Bridgeport, Connecticut.

(READ COMPLETE ARTICLE)

Firefighters respond to a 5-alarm fire and building collapse in East Harlem on March 12, 2014. (Photo by Andrew Burton/Getty Images)

newyork.cbslocal.com - March 12, 2014

NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) – . . . A massive explosion rocked East Harlem Wednesday morning, leveling two buildings and sending smoke and flames billowing into the air. . .

The explosion reduced two five-story buildings to rubble. It also shattered store windows for blocks and hurled glass, bricks and other debris throughout the neighborhood.

The explosion and building collapse were so strong it generated weak seismic signals that were recorded at seismographic stations in New York City, the Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory said.

(READ COMPLETE ARTICLE)

(ALSO SEE ADDITIONAL INFORMATION HERE)

greenbiz.com - by John Finnigan - March 10, 2014

Two seemingly unrelated announcements drew much attention in the electric utility industry recently. First, the Edison Electric Institute, the trade group for the U.S. electric utility industry, and the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) jointly recommended (PDF) changing how utilities should be regulated. Second, Duke Energy announced it will sell 13 Midwest merchant power plants.

(READ COMPLETE ARTICLE)

After high water from Hurricane Katrina inundated their nursing home, residents waited for assistance in New Orleans in 2005. Federal officials are trying to avoid these types of situations with new requirements for health care providers ahead of emergencies. Credit Mario Tama/Getty Images

nytimes.com - by Sheri Fink - March 11, 2014

Federal officials are proposing sweeping new requirements for American health care facilities — from large hospitals to small group homes for the mentally disabled — intended to ensure their readiness to care for patients during disasters.

submitted by Margery Schab

capitalnewyork.com - by Scott Waldman - March 7, 2014

ALBANY—A consultant hired by the state Health Department to assist in a review of the health effects of fracking recently published a study that concluded “substantial concerns and major uncertainties” should be resolved before it is expanded nationally.

Governor Andrew Cuomo has indicated that his final, long-awaited decision on whether to permit fracking will depend on the department's findings. 

John Adgate, of the Colorado School of Public Health, surveyed a number of recent health-related studies of fracking and published his findings last month in the Environmental Science & Technology journal.

(READ COMPLETE ARTICLE)

CLICK HERE - STUDY - Potential Public Health Hazards, Exposures and Health Effects from Unconventional Natural Gas Development

CONTRACTORS
Contractor License Search Tool
Model of Contract for Contractor Estimates and Final Contract
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REBUILD TIPS
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Rebuilding After Sandy Legislation and Information

Manuel Sanchez takes in the view of his flooded home and property on September 14, 2013 in La Salle, Colorado. Photographer: Marc Piscotty/Getty Images

businessweek.com- by James Rowley - March 4, 2014

The U.S. House passed legislation trimming premiums for government-sponsored flood insurance

The measure would limit premium increases to 18 percent per policy or 15 percent of an average of premiums in a particular flood zone.

The House bill, H.R. 3370, must be reconciled with legislation passed by the Democratic-controlled Senate that House Republican leaders said would roll back too many of the 2012 law’s changes. The Senate bill is S. 1926.

(READ COMPLETE ARTICLE)

Credit: dakine kane/flickr

greentechmedia.com - by Bobby Magill - October 31, 2013

New York City’s Rockaway Peninsula took the brunt of Hurricane Sandy when the storm blew ashore a year ago, leaving the Rockaways in Queens devastated from flooding and 34,000 without electricity for weeks.

In the ensuing twelve months, the city has suggested many ways to make itself more able to withstand such storms. As part of New York City’s climate change response plan, “A Stronger, More Resilient New York,” issued earlier this year, one of the city’s suggestions to help the Rockaways survive the next hurricane is for the peninsula to become the site of a microgrid pilot project that will help keep the lights on at hospitals, schools and other critical infrastructure during and after a storm.

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submitted by Seth Golbey - January 21, 2014
Voluntary Agencies Group Supervisor
FEMA-4085-DR-NY

(TO DOWNLOAD FLYER - CLICK ON ATTACHMENT BELOW)

submitted by Samuel Bendett

inhabitat.com - by Kevin Lee - February 25, 2014

When Hurricane Sandy struck in October of 2012, one of its most dire consequences was that it effectively put six New York hospitals out of commission. The facilities could have provided critical disaster relief, however they were shut down forcing 6,500 patients to be evacuated. To help prevent the same tragic scenario from happening again, hospitals from around New York have teamed up with global architecture firm Perkins+Will to organize an in-depth panel called the “Hospital Disaster Resiliency Program.”

(READ COMPLETE ARTICLE)

Mayor Bill de Blasio appointed Maya Wiley, at right, as his counsel; Emily Loyd, first left, as his Department of Environment Protection Commissioner, and Donna M. Corrado, far right, as Department of Aging Commissioner. (Photo - New York City Mayor's Office Twitter Account)

silive.com - by Jillian Jorgensen - February 18, 2014

CITY HALL -- Mayor Bill de Blasio announced three appointments to his administration Tuesday, including a new Department of Environmental Protection Commissioner who said Hurricane Sandy rebuilding and resiliency efforts will be among her top priorities.

De Blasio named Emily Loyd to the top DEP post - one that she held previously from 2005 to 2009. She was most recently Administrator of Prospect Park and President of the Prospect Park Alliance.

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Block and Tenant Associations Workshop Schedule

February – March 2014

All of the following interactive workshops will be held at

1385 East 94^th St, bet Avenues K and L

6:30-9:00pm

Who should attend:  

All Canarsiens interested in starting or strengthening a Block, Condo/Coop, or Tenant Association

Date:  Tuesday, February 18

Topic:  Canarsie Resilience: Building a Stronger Community Block by-Block

• Discussion of Block/Tenant/Condo workshops series
• Learn more about NY Resiliency and  Bridge Streetservices

Work Group Assignment: Participants will review and begin completing a 12-month action plan

wired.com - by Kyle VanHemert - February 6, 2014

One of the bigger themes in Frog’s workshops following Sandy was thinking about ways for FEMA to empower the community relief efforts that spring up organically after disasters strike.

“One thing that we noticed during our research during Sandy is that communities help themselves.”  One of Frog’s proposals was to formalize this process with “Franchise DRCs."  The idea is that FEMA could create partnerships with national chains, like Starbucks, Ikea, Home Depot or Verizon, whose outposts would get kits with setup instructions, signage and supplies. These locations would act as semi-official, community-run DRCs, which FEMA could build upon once they had people on the ground.

(READ COMPLETE ARTICLE)

Prepared by Heriberto Martinez, PCP
Voluntary Agency Liaison Deputy Group Supervisor
Federal Emergency Management Agency

New York Hurricane Sandy
Grants Information: Funders, Resources, and Grant Writing Tool February 10, 2014

(CLICK ON ATTACHMENT BELOW - 154 page Word document)