A Cascade of Emergencies: Responding to Superstorm Sandy in New York City Case Study Solution
A Cascade of Emergencies: Responding to Superstorm Sandy in New York City is a case study written by the author, John O'Connell, to help students learn how to respond to a natural disaster. He explains the process in step-by-step terms, pointing out the importance of a well-thought-out problem statement, PESTLE analysis, and financial analysis. The article also includes recommendations and a case study solution. It is a valuable resource for any student studying emergency management and preparedness.
Problem Statement
In the wake of Hurricane Sandy, there is no question that New York City was on the receiving end of the wrath of Mother Nature. Among other devastations, the storm caused a blackout that affected over 2.3 million residents of the Big Apple and 2.5 million in New Jersey. Fortunately, New York City's recovery has been more than just a case of gutting the slums. However, the long road to recovery isn't over yet. For starters, the city has been short staffed, making it harder to churn through its many projects.
As far as technology goes, the city has already rolled out its own backup generators for the boroughs. The city has also launched a slew of initiatives to help residents repair and rebuild their homes. Among these were the Enhanced Buyout Program, which involved the demolition of 473 housing units in Staten Island.
Aside from the massive flooding in lower Manhattan, the city also suffered from numerous power outages, as well as an explosion of a ConEd substation, leading to days of downtime. This led to an unprecedented slew of evacuations. While the power was restored, several hospitals closed in the interim. Others, such as Bellevue Hospital and St. Johns Medical Center, remained open, but faced significant logistical challenges.
In the end, it was a matter of timing and resource allocation. To date, the city has spent nearly $10 billion in federal grant funds, but has little money left to spend on the projects that matter. It's time to get serious about a sustainable funding source, as well as to redouble our efforts to improve the city's overall resilience.
Case Study Solution
Superstorm Sandy devastated New York City. In response to this tragedy, the City initiated billions of dollars of investments in rebuilding and resiliency infrastructure.
As a result of the storm, the emergency medical services of the city were challenged. Four out of five FDNY-EMS stations were evacuated. However, the city did not always have sufficient documentation of the pre-storm conditions.
The case illustrates the challenges of metropolitan areas facing multiple emergencies. It also raises questions about the use of federal military assets in domestic emergency operations.
With more than $19 billion in damages and 43 deaths, Superstorm Sandy was the largest single-storm event on the East Coast. But the recovery effort is not finished.
Although resiliency infrastructure has been built in the wake of the storm, many challenges remain. The implementation of these projects requires specialized technical expertise and a complex legal agreement with private property owners. There are also significant backlogs in supply chains for essential construction materials.
To avoid future catastrophes, resiliency and adaptation efforts are needed. These should be especially focused on coastal cities with diverse urban populations.
New York City has received billions of dollars in federal and private sector funding for its recovery efforts. But its funding tracker provides limited information on the status of federal grants. Moreover, it does not convey total project budgets or expected completion dates.
Porters Five Forces
The aftermath of Superstorm Sandy was devastating in New York City and surrounding regions. The 8.5 million homes that lost power, the more than 346,000 that were damaged, and the 147 deaths that plagued the region make for grim reading.
A new analysis of planning responses to Sandy reveals a handful of smart initiatives that are helping communities across the city and state get back on their feet. Among them is the city's laudable efforts to promote sustainable development.
Another program, the Resilient Edgemere Community Planning Initiative, focused on the Rockaway peninsula's low-income neighborhood. It combined green infrastructure with new mixed-use developments.
On the housing front, the city's efforts have been a mixed bag. While it's worth noting that 60 percent of the city's residents live in public housing, many areas haven't seen significant rebuilding efforts in the aftermath of the storm.
While it's not a perfect model, the city's newest plan, the OneNYC Sustainability Plan, does the best job of integrating resilience into the long-term development vision. For instance, it is a component of the affordable housing mandate.
In addition to OneNYC, Mayor Michael Bloomberg enacted the New York City Panel on Climate Change, a group that focuses on the city's climate changes and how to adapt. He also rebranded the 2007 sustainability plan as OneNYC.
Lastly, New York's post-Sandy risk mitigation measures have created incentives for new development, but have also raised the specter of "disaster gentrification". However, many neighborhoods still have their fair share of challenges to grapple with.
PESTLE Analysis
The PESTLE analysis of superstorm Sandy in New York City revealed the presence of a few stumbling blocks. A cursory review of the data revealed some of the usual suspects, namely a lack of coordination and a general lack of information. For instance, it wasn't clear which agency was responsible for the best and most comprehensive analysis. It also remained to be seen how far down the line the studies were.
To gauge the impact of Hurricane Sandy on the city, researchers tapped into the vast trove of government and private sector research. One of their findings was that high rise public housing is a surprisingly under studied risk environment.
The aforementioned hurricane produced a multitude of benefits, including boosting a sense of community among the residents. This prompted researchers to take a closer look at the city's most vulnerable. Among these were the high-rise public housing units that make up most of Manhattan's boroughs, and the Lower Manhattan island's dense public housing stock.
As for the aforementioned hurricane, Hurricane Sandy surpassed its predecessor in terms of sheer size and intensity. Despite the fact that the aforementioned hurricane was no match for the dreaded storm-driven rainstorms of old, some NYCHA residents experienced flooded streets and lost power and natural gas.
In addition, the storm posed a host of logistical challenges, such as the lack of elevator service and power, which left many residents stranded. Another challenge was ensuring a timely and effective recovery. With limited resources and competing priorities, the city's apex organization has yet to emerge as a model of resilience.
Financial Analysis
During Superstorm Sandy, New York City experienced unprecedented damage to its infrastructure, as well as direct impact on homes and businesses. New Yorkers were devastated, but their resilient communities helped them through the storm. In addition, billions of dollars were invested in new resiliency infrastructure in response to the disaster. This two-part case study focuses on the city's preparation for and response to Superstorm Sandy.
The city rolled out a number of initiatives in response to the storm, including the Raise Shorelines program to help elevate frequently flooded roadways. It also supported efforts to repair homes damaged by the storm. However, many of these efforts are still in the early stages.
New York City also took advantage of federal funds to rehabilitate critical infrastructure. The Federal Highway Administration, FEMA, and the Department of Housing and Urban Development all provided significant disaster grant assistance.
One important aspect of the City's preparation for and response to Superstorm is its Financial Management System (FMS), an internal budgeting and accounting system. Using several sources of budget data, the Comptroller's Office analyzed project-level information and found that 13.3 percent of the total $1.9 billion federal grant for ESCR projects was spent.
The City's Sandy Funding Tracker is a useful tool to visualize the city's spending, but it does not convey the details. It does not include the City's capital contributions, which are necessary for major investments.
Recommendations
After the devastation caused by superstorm Sandy, New York City released a comprehensive plan called A Stronger, More Resilient New York. The report contains actionable recommendations for rebuilding communities damaged by the storm.
In addition to providing recommendations for rebuilding Sandy-affected communities, the report also addresses issues surrounding accountability, the alignment of funding with local priorities, and eliminating barriers to recovery. It also aligns with President Obama's Climate Action Plan and promotes resilient rebuilding.
The report notes that a recent survey of nearly 500 NYCHA residents found that almost 40 percent of them developed new needs after Sandy. Almost six in ten of the city's public housing complexes reported having to wait six months or more for repairs.
Another major impact of Sandy was the deterioration of critical infrastructure, particularly the subway system. This contributed to widespread preexisting mold contamination. At least one million people lost power for a few days, and water entered tunnels that flooded into Manhattan.
In the long term, experts warn that sea levels will rise by at least two feet as a result of climate change. If this trend continues, thousands of homes in New York could be submerged.
The report also calls for new, more resilient buildings. It recommends increasing the resilience of underground fuel-oil storage tanks with pumps and waterproofing.
Additionally, the report cites the need for affordable health care, education, and good jobs. These goals should be part of New York City's future recovery efforts.
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