NEW YORK — The Metropolitan Transportation Authority still needs “considerable work” to be prepared to use some $350 million in flood-control devices installed since Hurricane Sandy caused substantial damage in 2012, according to a new report.
Acting MTA Inspector General Elizabeth Keating said in a press release that in the years since Sandy, the MTA “has made great progress” in preparing its infrastructure for a major storm, but “many opportunities remain” to improve its hurricane preparedness.
Over 3,500 devices have been installed to protect sidewalk vents, station entrances, manholes, and other sites vulnerable to flooding, but those must be closed manually ahead of a storm. Current plans call for preparations to begin 72 hours ahead of a potential damaging storm, with the subway system shutting down approximately 12 hours in advance.
The Inspector General report says greater communication is needed between manufacturers of the flood-control devices and employees who maintain and will install them. Among its 15 recommendations — 14 of which have been accepted by the MTA — is annual testing of the devices, which will allow for employee training.
The full report is available here.
In Sandy, NYCTA (MTA) flooded from above as Lower Manhattan streets flooded on the surface and the water poured down into the subway.
That it takes them 72 hours to deploy the anti-flooding hardware is daunting. 72 hours is 3 full days. Did they have 3 days to get ready for Sandy?
They must presume commercial electric power will fail as it did during Sandy and pumps that used Con Ed power didn’t work.
MTA unwilling to pay the manufacturers for training on how to properly use flood control devices? Not very smart.