HUD Secretary Castro Visits Long Island on 2nd Anniversary of Hurricane Sandy

(l-r) - Regional Administrator Holly Leicht, Secretary Julián Castro, U.S. Senator Chuck Schumer, and Nassau County Executive Ed Mangano

When Hurricane Sandy swept up the East Coast on October 29, 2012, its powerful winds and fierce rain destroyed large swaths of New Jersey, New York City, and Long Island; yet, ironically, some of the worst damage was barely visible. While images of homes, cars, and neighborhoods underwater captured much of the media attention, critical water and power infrastructures were also inundated with sometimes contaminated and highly corrosive salt water, leaving hundreds of thousands without power and putting at risk basic services such as clean drinking water and sanitation.

Two-years later, millions of dollars of HUD Community Development Block Grant Disaster Relief funding is being put to work to dramatically strengthen Long Island's sewer and water treatment infrastructure, ensuring resilience in the face of future storms and protecting residents from further disruptions. On October 28, HUD Secretary Julián Castro, joined by Senator Chuck Schumer (D-NY), Nassau County Executive Ed Mangano, and Region II Administrator Holly Leicht toured the Bay Park Sewage Treatment Plant where federal dollars are building infrastructure that will withstand the new threats caused by climate change. Speaking to reporters and residents, Secretary Castro discussed the importance of building resilient communities, and HUD's commitment to responding aggressively to mitigate the impacts of climate change.

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