Letter to Jamie Pinkham, Assistant Secretary of the Army for Civil Works, and Scott A Spellmon, Lieutenant General - Following His Visit to Mamaroneck, Schumer Calls Top Brass at Army to Demand Prioritization of Mamroneck Project; Hours After His Confirmation, Schumer Calls New Assistant Secretary to Make Mamaroneck Top Priority, Fully Fund Project, and Save Lives

Letter

Dear Acting Assistant Secretary Pinkham and Lieutenant General Spellmon:

As you select and prioritize projects for funding from the Disaster Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2022 (P.L. 117-43) (Disaster Supplemental), we write to express my utmost support for the Mamaroneck and Sheldrake Rivers Flood Risk Management Project and strongly urge its selection as a construction project for full funding.

Hurricane Ida caused historic flooding throughout the New York Metropolitan Area and one of the hardest-hit areas is the Village of Mamaroneck in Westchester County. The village experienced significant damage with up to 14 feet of water flooding homes, businesses, and roadways. In the aftermath of the storm, streets in the Village were impassable, while many residents, including children and the elderly, remained trapped in flood-damaged homes waiting for assistance from first responders and more than half of the Village lost power due to flooding. There were over 150 water rescues, 535 flooded homes, 1,000 people displaced, and 310 abandoned cars. The Village has reported over $18 M in damages and over $75 M in residential and commercial damage.

Alarmingly, Hurricane Ida, which came on the heels of Hurricane Henri, is not the first time that a storm has caused significant damage to the Village of Mamaroneck. In April of 2007, for example, a Nor'easter caused over $50 million in damages and impacted over 50 percent of total structures within the USACE Project Area. Over 40 percent of Mamaroneck residents needed evacuation assistance, including children attending school within the epicenter of the severe flooding.

At least two deaths have occurred as a result of flooding within the project area, and an additional death occurred in the village due to Ida. Three deaths from flooding are three deaths too many and the construction phase of this project must commence as soon as possible. No bureaucratic impediments, no red tape, including a lack of full funding, should come between the project and the work that must be done.

The Disaster Supplemental legislation included $3 billion in funding for construction projects, including $1.5 billion in states, including New York, with a major disaster declared due to Hurricane Ida pursuant to the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act, and the ability to fund projects at full federal expense.

Congress passed the Disaster Supplemental precisely so that critical flood and storm damage protection projects such as the Mamaroneck project would not continue to languish, and real progress could be made to advance them to the construction phase. We now urge you to select and approve the Mamaroneck and Sheldrake Rivers Flood Risk Management Project for full funding.

Thank you for your time and attention to this matter. Should you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact me or my staff.

Sincerely,

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