LI should act now on sea level rise
Large swaths of Glen Cove's waterfront are at risk for flooding by the end of the century, a report says. Credit: Newsday/Steve Pfost
The inexorable rise of seawater levels due to climate change poses a long-term threat to Long Island’s future, especially along its fragile shoreline. Some local leaders may believe this problem, already staring them in the face, is not something they need to deal with now. At least not until the water is at the doorstep or another intense weather event like 2012’s Superstorm Sandy comes crashing down on their neighborhood, causing millions in damages.
But responsible and farsighted leadership recognizes this growing problem and takes steps to deal with it. That’s why Glen Cove’s example in preparing for the impact of rising sea levels in the North Shore community should be followed by other Long Island municipalities.
A new report projects that large portions of the waterfront along Glen Cove Creek will face increased flooding and water damage due to rising sea levels by the year 2100. Envision the future for Glen Cove residents, according to this report prepared by a private consultant hired by city officials with state funding: “Areas that exhibit nuisance flooding or ponding now are expected to exhibit more frequent and more significant flooding in the future.”
While detailing the scope of the problem is vital, the report is particularly helpful in discussing ways to deal with it. Like many other Long Island waterfront communities, Glen Cove faces three essential approaches: retreat by moving properties too close to the waterfront and relying on natural barriers like marsh grasses; protect with physical structures like sea walls to keep out the onslaught of water; or accommodate rising sea levels by elevating buildings and improving drainage to avoid future damage.
Glen Cove currently has no plans to build costly sea walls to protect its waterfront properties. Instead, it is focused on improving drainage to avoid flooding. Most significantly, though, it now has a well-conceived plan and is discussing ways of dealing with this worldwide crisis at a local level.
Glen Cove paid for its study with a $50,000 grant from New York State’s Climate Smart Communities program, which provides money to local municipalities dealing with climate change. According to Myra Fedyniak, a state analyst with the program, only about 30 municipalities statewide — most from the mid-Hudson region — applied this year for matching grants from the program pool of approximately $10 million. “We don’t see the number of applications from Long Island that we would expect to see,” she said.
While most Long Island municipalities passed resolutions over the past decade to address climate change, many have not followed through with this program’s paperwork to obtain state funding. That’s inexcusable, especially as more money from the $4.2 billion Environmental Bond Act approved in 2022 becomes available. Ignoring the rising sea level problem won’t make the problem go away. Every eligible Long Island municipality, especially those along the shoreline, should be preparing for this new world of rising sea levels right now.
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