College of Staten Island scientists have come up with a five-point plan for the island in the wake of superstorm Sandy.
Here’s the plan, according to a statement and abstract presented at the Geological Society of America meeting in Colorado:
1. Protect current natural barriers, which are beaches and dunes.
2. Build them higher.
3. Rezone in the flood zone to prevent home construction. Buy as many properties as possible and turn them into parks, which will soak up the inevitable flood waters and partially protect higher lands. After 157 people died in 1946 and 1960 tsunamis in Hilo, Hawaii, the most damaged neighborhoods were turned into parks. (I’ve been to one of them).
4. Be very careful with engineering solutions such as sea barriers because they will be costly and protect one stretch of beach at the expense of another stretch.
5. Teach coastal residents how to survive a hurricane. Stay informed by watching weather forecasts. Evacuate early. Don’t seek refuge in basements, which could flood. Know your area’s high ground and, if faced with rapidly rising waters, go there.
What do you think of the plan, and would it be good for New Jersey?