State requests emergency Army Corps repairs for Long Island coastal defenses

Residents along Long Island's South Shore face weakened coastal defenses after Governor Kathy Hochul announced Thursday that the state is requesting emergency repairs from the Army Corps of Engineers. The request, submitted Wednesday by the Department of Environmental Conservation, targets four specific projects damaged by the nor'easter that struck the region from September 25 to 28. These projects currently shield 105 miles of coastline from flooding.

The state letter identifies the affected areas as the stretch between Jones Inlet and East Rockaway Inlet in Long Beach, the Fire Island to Montauk Point corridor, the area west of Fire Island Inlet, and the section from East Rockaway Inlet to Rockaway Inlet in Queens. These defenses are jointly managed by the Army Corps, the state, and local governments. Officials stated that the storm caused widespread erosion, sand loss, and coastal flooding across these zones.

Thomas Snow, director of the DEC's Bureau of Flood Protection and Dam Safety, wrote to the Army Corps that the damage exceeds what routine maintenance can fix. He noted that the projects remain vulnerable to failure if another major storm hits before repairs are completed. The letter describes specific physical impacts, including a 400,000 cubic yard loss of sand at Robert Moses State Park and a 135,000 cubic yard loss at Gilgo Beach.

In Long Beach, erosion created a 4-foot scarp and removed between 10 and 15 feet of dune at a city beach. The letter reports that Fire Island Pines experienced multiple wash-overs, allowing ocean water to flow toward bay-side infrastructure. Further east, wave heights peaked around 19 feet west of Shinnecock Inlet, creating a 12-foot scarp and damaging berms and dunes. Suffolk County already performed emergency repairs to a damaged dune in that area.

The state has not provided an estimated cost for the repair work. The request was made under Public Law 84-99, which is funded through the Flood Control and Coastal Emergencies appropriation. This fiscal year, that appropriation was funded at $40 million. Local officials indicated that federal assistance is necessary to restore the beaches quickly.

Islip Supervisor Angie Carpenter, a Republican, said the communities in her district took a substantial hit from the storm. She stated that the governor's action demonstrates an understanding of the stakes for Long Island. East Hampton Supervisor Kathee Burke-Gonzalez, a Democrat, estimated the nor'easter caused at least $5 million in damage to the town's coastline, including the engineered dune at Ditch Plains in Montauk.

Burke-Gonzalez emphasized that beaches, dunes, and waterfront infrastructure are essential for community protection. She said local governments need strong state and federal partners to help make repairs and prepare for future storms. Hochul also issued a statement saying she will continue to fight for federal assistance for Nassau and Suffolk Counties to help communities recover and rebuild.

The announcement comes after Hochul requested last week that President Donald Trump issue a major disaster declaration for the September storm. Such a declaration would allow local governments and nonprofits to apply for relief funds from the Federal Emergency Management Agency and other federal agencies. As of Friday, FEMA's website showed that the federal government has not issued a disaster declaration for this specific storm.

Recent reports indicate FEMA plans to shift more disaster recovery responsibility to state governments. Newsday has previously reported that this plan could place a greater financial burden on Long Island governments. The state's current request focuses specifically on restoring the four coastal resiliency projects to their design conditions through the Army Corps.