Since late October 2012, a number of Dewberry employees have been working all-out for months. From my vantage point helping coordinate their efforts, I've seen many people working six and seven days a week, many outside their normal work environment. We've been responsive to the ever changing needs of our clients, and we all know that the work could still continue for a number of years.
All of this can be attributed to a single dark weekend in late October, when Hurricane Sandy caused eight northeastern governors and the mayor of Washington, D.C., to declare states of emergency.
The pictures from that day show debris standing in mountains, disaster so thorough it was almost impossible to figure out where the rebuilding process would start. We've had the opportunity to help clear the debris, and the chance to document some of the stories involved with that work. I'm happy to share them with you on the anniversary of the storm.
Assessing the Debris and Rebuilding the Homes
Our first job was to assess the debris. Debris removal operations following a disaster are notorious for accounting for more than 40 percent of total disaster recovery costs. This only emphasized the need for quicker and more accurate debris estimate methods. Under a Nationwide Infrastructure Support Technical Assistance Consultants joint venture contract with URS, we deployed a Debris Estimator Tool field test in eight New Jersey counties to help better understand the magnitude of recovery efforts.
We also compiled Advisory Base Flood Elevation (ABFE) data to help communities rebuild their homes more resiliently, either beyond wave-risk areas or elevated above them. An online application allowed users to enter an address and mine all the relevant data they needed.
The purpose of all this was to help people rebuild their homes and businesses. Our structure assessments helped communities determine damage estimates, and whether buildings were "substantially damaged" (damage that exceeded 50 percent of the structure's value). We collected the information on tablets with an integrated GPS and camera, which allowed for more accurate lines to be drawn from records, pictures, and physical locations.
Parting the Waters
The New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP) and Governor Chris Christie emphasized the importance of having the beaches and waterways cleared, as both are major contributors to the state's economy. The 127 miles of coastal shoreline, 211 state navigation channels, and numerous smaller waterways were all part of the NJDEP's prioritized sites. We stepped in to remove floating and submerged debris from waterways, and dredge them back to pre-Sandy levels. In fact, after eight months of work, the Christie administration announced the successful completion of post-Sandy waterway debris removal.
Preparing for the Next Sandy
Our efforts continue today in a number of projects, seminars, and awareness opportunities. In late October, we helped PBS' This Old House tell the stories of recovery taking place along the Jersey Shore, and of the efforts undertaken to bring the shoreline back to pre-Sandy levels.
At the Railroad Environmental Conference in the Midwest, our employees discussed how New York City Transit's EMS supported the response to Superstorm Sandy. In New Jersey, we visited the New Jersey Association for Floodplain Management's annual conference and talked about how to build safer and more resilient communities through the National Flood Insurance Program Reform Act (also known as Biggert-Waters 12 or BW-12). We even ran a free storm preparedness training workshop for small businesses hosted by the Southwest Brooklyn Industrial Development Corporation.
A year ago we were rocked by Sandy, but we're not as bruised as the first weekend she came to town. National preparedness tools have become available to smaller public entities, and repaired structures have to be brought into compliance with current floodplain regulations. Another Sandy will come, and when it does, we hope that more of us will be prepared. For now though, we're all just happy that New Jersey, and all the states affected by Hurricane Sandy, are starting to reestablish the meaning of "home."