Hurricane Sandy - NOAA Water Level and Meteorological Data Report (62 page .PDF report)

tidesandcurrents.noaa.gov - January 24, 2013

Overview

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Center for Operational Oceanographic Products and Services (CO-OPS) maintains a network of oceanographic and meteorological stations along the United States coastlines and Great Lakes to monitor water levels, winds (speed, direction and gusts), barometric pressure, and air/water temperature. This report documents the elevated water levels, high winds and reduced barometric pressures recorded at stations along the East Coast of the U.S. from Florida to Maine during Hurricane Sandy.

Download the list in PDF

With the drop in temperatures, the City is providing warming centers located within Senior Centers in the five boroughs for a place to get out of the cold during the day. Please see times and locations in the .PDF list.

submitted by Dennis Saleeby

Bloomberg Blasted As New Yorkers Say No Way, Demand $1,000 Rebate

CBS News - February 11, 2013

NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) — A property tax revolt is brewing in areas of New York City hard hit by Hurricane Sandy. Residents are crying foul over the city’s decision to raise the assessed value — and the taxes — on homes damaged by the storm.

Imagine the nerve … the chutzpah … Your home sustains more than $100,000 in damages from the hurricane and the resale value immediately plummets, only to have the city say it’s actually worth more and you have to pay higher taxes, CBS 2′s Marcia Kramer reported Monday.

“I think they have a different reality and the reality is Mayor Bloomberg making money for the city.

(READ COMPLETE ARTICLE)

ready.gov

An In-depth Guide to Citizen Preparedness

Are You Ready? An In-depth Guide to Citizen Preparedness (IS-22) is FEMA’s most comprehensive source on individual, family and community preparedness.  The guide has been revised, updated and enhanced in August 2004 to provide the public with the most current and up-to-date disaster preparedness information available.

02/04/2013 09:40 AM EST 

NEW YORK – The Federal Emergency Management Agency understands that some survivors may need additional temporary rental assistance to help them achieve their permanent housing goals.Most eligible applicants initially received four months of rental assistance and may be eligible for additional help, if their damaged residence is still not livable.Applicants with an ongoing need for temporary rental assistance who have signed a valid lease agreement should:

View Press Release
Applicants should contact FEMA’s Helpline, 800-621-3362 

Peter B. Gudaitis, M.Div.

President, National Disaster Interfaiths Network (NDIN)
Chief Response Officer, New York Disaster Interfaith Services (NYDIS)

Submitted by Peter B. Guidaitis,M.Div.

02/07/2013 01:59 PM EST
The Federal Emergency Management Agency, at the request of the State of New York, has approved a 14-day extension to the Transitional Sheltering Assistance (TSA) program, which allows eligible survivors from Hurricane Sandy who cannot return to their homes to stay in participating hotels or motels.The new checkout date for those in the TSA program is Feb. 24, 2013. FEMA will call applicants eligible for the extension to notify them of the new checkout date.

http://www.fema.gov/news-release/2013/02/07/fema-extends-transitional-sheltering-assistance-program-new-york

Peter B. Gudaitis, M.Div.

President, National Disaster Interfaiths Network (NDIN)
Chief Response Officer, New York Disaster Interfaith Services (NYDIS)
4 West 43rd Street - Suite 407
New York, NY 10036
Office: 212.669.6100
FAX: 212.354.8251

www.nydis.org             www.n-din.org               

Dear Members/Partners:

As you may have heard, FEMA has released its Advisory Base Flood Elevation (ABFE) information to help communities plan for and reduce the risk from future flooding. FEMA Region II (covering NY, NJ, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands) has initiated a coastal flood study to update Flood Insurance Rate Maps (FIRMS) for parts of NY and NJ.  The websitewww.region2coastal.com, which hosts a wide array of information, will be updated as the Region II coastal flood study continues.

This information is crucial to those who need to rebuild after Sandy so they can build stronger and safer. It is important for property and business owners to work with their local officials to fully understand any requirements for using ABFEs and/or determining mandatory elevations in rebuilding.  On the Sandy ABFE page www.region2coastal.com/sandy/abfe, you can view interactive ABFE maps, watch video tutorials, and access guides and toolkits.  Here is a sample of some of the information available. 

noaa.gov - January 28, 2013

According to a new technical report, the effects of climate change will continue to threaten the health and vitality of U.S. coastal communities’ social, economic and natural systems. The report, Coastal Impacts, Adaptation, and Vulnerabilities: a technical input to the 2013 National Climate Assessment, authored by leading scientists and experts, emphasizes the need for increased coordination and planning to ensure U.S. coastal communities are resilient against the effects of climate change.

The recently-released report examines and describes climate change impacts on coastal ecosystems and human economies and communities, as well as the kinds of scientific data, planning tools and resources that coastal communities and resource managers need to help them adapt to these changes.

NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NEW YORK NY - (CLICK HERE FOR UPDATES)

Press Release from the United States Environmental Protection Agency - February 4, 2013

Improving housing quality can dramatically affect the health of residents

WASHINGTON – Several federal agencies today unveiled Advancing Healthy Housing – A Strategy for Action. White House Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) Chair Nancy Sutley, Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Lisa P. Jackson, Secretary of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Shaun Donovan, Surgeon General Regina Benjamin, M.D., and Deputy Secretary of Energy Daniel Poneman discussed the new plan during an event at the National Building Museum this morning.

The initiative represents a bold new vision for addressing the nation’s health and economic burdens caused by preventable hazards associated with the home. The Strategy for Action encourages federal agencies to take preemptive actions that will help reduce the number of American homes with health and safety hazards.

CLICK HERE to watch LIVE coverage as The Weather Channel tracks winter storm Nemo.

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10151357820591716&set=a.208096366715.141536.201357451715&type=1&theater

NOAA Graphical Forecasts

nyc.gov

PlowNYC was created to allow the public to track the progress of Department of Sanitation clearing operations throughout the five boroughs. Enter your address in the spaces below to view your street's snow removal category or to track the progress of City plows during a snow event.

(GO to PlowNYC and scroll down)

Tomohiro Ohsumi/Bloomberg

Although Mayor Bloomberg has stated publicly that he does not like the idea of gambliing in New York, he is supporting Governor Cuomo's casino plan, as long as a portion of the revenues come to New York City.

http://www.nydailynews.com/new-york/bloomberg-support-gov-cuomo-casino-plan-decides-article-1.997561