USACE Continues Joint Efforts Four Years after Sandy

Since Hurricane Sandy pounded the Northeast on Oct. 29, 2012, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has worked diligently, together with its federal, state, local and industry partners, to complete construction on more than 106 authorized and funded coastal storm damage risk reduction projects.    

Extending from Maine to Virginia, the efforts of the Army Corps’ North Atlantic Division (NAD) have been laser focused on reducing coastline community vulnerability through repairing, restoring and constructing regional storm risk management projects authorized and funded by Public Law 113-2, the Disaster Relief Appropriations Act of 2013.

In addition to repairing and restoring all 25 of the Corps’ previously constructed beach nourishment projects under the Flood Control and Coastal Emergencies program, the Corps has finished repair work on 90 percent (77 of 86 projects) of navigation channels and structures impacted by Sandy under NAD’s Operations and Maintenance (O&M) program.

Of the remaining nine projects, four are expected to be completed this year, with the last five wrapping up the O&M program by next summer.

“I am immensely proud of the outstanding effort of our entire team,” Brig. Gen. William Graham, NAD commander, said. “For decades, the Army Corps of Engineers has been known as one of the largest and most respected engineering and construction organizations in the world. That reputation is based on the selfless dedication and professionalism of its workforce. Many years ago, the Corps had a motto, ‘The Corps Cares.’ Its efforts surrounding the recovery from Super Storm Sandy certainly prove that!”

To restore engineered dunes and berms to their authorized specifications, the Corps has placed more than 50.1 million cubic yards of sand, enough to fill MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey, more than 25 times, on coastlines from New York to Virginia since federal funds were appropriated 45 months ago.

Feasibility cost-sharing agreements have been executed for all 17 federally-funded coastal storm risk management studies – one of which transitioned last year from a study to a construction project. Nine of 10 additional studies are projected to transition to construction projects by next summer.

At the request of the non-Federal sponsor or, per Corps policy, the remaining six have transitioned, or will transition, out of the Sandy Recovery Program.

The Corps has completed four “authorized but unconstructed” (ABU) projects.

ABU projects constitute the bulk of the recovery program and include beach nourishment projects which had been designed and congressionally authorized prior to Sandy but had not been built or were only partially built when the hurricane struck.

Seven more ABU projects are now in construction, and the remaining eight will be ready to build pending coordination with state and local officials.

Since the third anniversary of Hurricane Sandy (October 29, 2015), the Corps has completed 19 projects including 16 O&M and 3 ABU projects.