BUFFALO, N.Y. — In response to severe flooding along the Great Lakes in two of the last three years, New York lawmakers are urging the Army Corps of Engineers to perform a study on the area in 2020.
Senators Chuck Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand say that the Great Lakes shoreline is in critical need of more protections due to unexpected flooding in recent years.
"Lake Ontario has suffered from repeated severe flooding over the past few years. Homes, businesses, and infrastructure along its shoreline have been severely damaged and continue to face vulnerabilities,” Gillibrand said in a statement. “With the continued threat of extreme weather and high water levels, these shoreline communities are still in danger."
The Great Lakes Coastal Resiliency Study would cost $12 million, 75 percent of the study would be funded by the federal government. The other 25 percent will be funded by the eight state governments that border the Great Lakes.
“After Lake Ontario experienced record flooding in 2017 and again in 2019, with the risk of a severe repeat this year, it is obvious that we need all hands on deck and an all-of-the-above approach, meaning a coordinated response from federal, state and local government, to address the costly vulnerabilities on our Great Lakes,” Schumer said in a statement.
The study the senators are calling for would look to find vulnerable spots along the coastline and create a plan to better protect them from the impacts of flooding and erosion.