PROTECTINGAMERICA.ORG E-NEWS New York City Leaders Call on Albany to Better
Prepare and Protect the State of New York from Catastrophe ProtectingAmerica.org Co-Chair James Lee Witt Appears in New York City
to Call On Legislators to Take Action New York City Public Advocate Betsy Gotbaum and Manhattan Borough President Scott Stringer joined with former Federal Emergency Management Director James Lee Witt in calling upon state leaders to take steps to better prepare and protect New Yorkers from the financial impact of a natural catastrophe. Listen to WCBS-880 AM’s coverage of the event | ProtectingAmerica.org Co-Chair James Lee Witt, center, is flanked by New York City Public Advocate Betsy Gotbaum and Manhattan Borough President Scott Stringer. The three appeared at a press conference in New York City calling upon state leaders to take steps to better prepare New Yorkers from catastrophe. |
New York, like so many other states, is exposed and unprotected from the ravages of a major hurricane or other catastrophic event. The human and financial costs of a major hurricane making a direct hit on New York City would be enormous. - James Lee Witt, Co-Chair of ProtectingAmerica.org |
In 1938, the 'Long Island Express' hurricane made landfall on Long Island, carved the Shinnecock Inlet, killed 700 people and left 63,000 homeless. If that same storm were to hit the same place today, its damages would be likely to exceed $24 billion, according to an AIR Worldwide hurricane model. A major hurricane hit New York City in 1821, lifted the tide 13 feet in one hour. The East River and Hudson River quickly converged over Lower Manhattan and flooded the City as far north as Canal Street. According to a 1995 U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Metro New York Hurricane Transportation study, a category four hurricane would put JFK Airport under 20 feet of water, vast portions of Long Island would be submerged for days. Damages from such a storm could exceed $100 billion. We are calling for action on comprehensive legislation that would establish privately funded financial mechanisms to protect the victims of natural catastrophe in New York, provide more funding for our first responders and mitigate potential damage through better planning and improved consumer education.
-Betsy Gotbaum, New York City Public Advocate |
New York City, according to the US Army Corps of Engineers, is the third most vulnerable US city for a hurricane disaster. The rebuilding process and recovery efforts from a disaster can be just as important as the initial hours of response and the state legislature needs to act now so that New York is best prepared to respond and recover. -Scott Stringer, Manhattan Borough President |
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ProtectingAmerica.org’s Executive Director
Calls on Need for Better Catastrophe Protection In concurrence with two articles in the Advocate (Baton Rouge, La.), Robert W. Porter, Executive Director of ProtectingAmerica.org, wrote a letter in the Advocate relaying the need to implement comprehensive legislative solutions to better prepare for and protect Americans from the onslaught of catastrophe. Mr. Porter’s letter followed the public recognition that legislative solutions for better catastrophe protection are needed by Senators Mary Landrieu (D-La.) and Bill Nelson (D-Fla.) and U.S. Rep. Richard Baker (R-Baton Rouge). Following is an excerpt from Porter’s letter: Our financial recovery mechanisms, which rely primarily on the private insurance market, need to be retooled so that they work better for consumers in meeting the immeasurable costs of large-scale catastrophe. ProtectingAmerica.org is a coalition of private citizens, first responders, emergency management professionals, building code experts, insurers and others advocating for the establishment of an integrated public-private solution that would better prepare and protect America from catastrophe. The coalition calls for a stronger financial infrastructure to provide more protection at lower cost for consumers, more recovery and rebuilding funds amassed before a major catastrophe strikes, and supports efforts to improve building codes, establish homeowner education programs and strengthen first responders by enhancing existing emergency response protocols. State and national catastrophe funds — financed by private insurance dollars — provide a necessary backstop for the private insurance market to help families, businesses and communities in the case of extraordinary events. Additionally, state and federal catastrophe programs will help mitigate the damage of a future catastrophe by improving building codes and enhancing public education. Bipartisan and bicameral legislation — H.R. 4366 and S. 3117 — addresses these issues, and the solution is gaining momentum in Congress. Unfortunately, we have seen firsthand the devastating potential of a natural catastrophe. Moving forward, the best course of action is to fix our current system before catastrophe strikes again. |
ProtectingAmerica.org Addresses the National Science Board On Improving the Nation’s Preparedness for Hurricanes ProtectingAmerica.org co-chairs James Lee Witt and Admiral James Loy submitted comments to the National Science Board in response to the Board’s draft agenda for actions to improve America’s preparedness for hurricanes. ProtectingAmerica.org outlined the life and property-saving results of strengthened building codes, success of mitigation and education programs, and the importance of creating state and federal catastrophe funds. Read the full comments The National Science Board (NSB) is an independent Federal agency to promote the progress of science, advance the national health, prosperity, and welfare, and secure the national defense.  | | ProtectingAmerica.org co-chairs Admiral James Loy, left, and James Lee Witt. The pair recently submitted comments to the National Science Board in response to the Board's draft agenda for actions to improve America's preparedness for hurricanes. |
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