Garbarino Applauds Army Corps Decision To Review Fire Island Beach Erosion Following Storm Damage

PATCHOUGE, N.Y. – Today, it was reported that the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers will be conducting a review of damage done to Fire Island beaches as a result of recent storms and placing them under consideration for emergency renourishment. This decision comes following calls from Congressman Andrew R. Garbarino (R-NY-02), local officials, and advocates for the Army Corps to prioritize Long Island beaches for renourishment in the wake of recent nor’easters. These storms have washed away significant sections of the Fire Island shoreline, left homes extremely close to the water, boardwalks hanging freely in the air, and emergency vehicles unable to drive on the eroded beaches.

Earlier this month, Rep. Garbarino testified before the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure advocating for the inclusion of language in the upcoming 2024 Water Resources Development Act (WRDA) that would allow renourishment to occur following nor’easters affecting the Fire Island National Seashore and neighboring hamlets in between scheduled renourishment periods. His testimony can be viewed here.

“I applaud the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ decision to acknowledge the urgency of the situation on Fire Island,” Rep. Garbarino said of the Army Corps’ decision to consider Fire Island Beaches for emergency renourishment. “The devastation facing our South Shore beaches following the recent rash of storms is such that we cannot wait years for renourishment to occur under the current renourishment project schedule. I urge them to conduct a swift and thorough review of the existing storm damage so that emergency action can be taken. Each passing storm increases the damage to our shoreline and the longer we leave these problems unchecked, the greater the probability that Long Island will require increased support for infrastructure resiliency projects.

“I will continue to work with town officials to ensure their needs are being heard throughout this process and I will be moving forward with my proposal to codify language through WRDA that would ensure future storm damage on Long Island will qualify for emergency renourishment. This language will not only account for Fire Island, but also the Village of Babylon, the Village of Patchogue, the Village of Lindenhurst, the Town of Oyster Bay, the Village of Bellport, the Village of Amityville, the Town of Brookhaven, and the Town of Islip. I am committed to safeguarding the South Shore of Long Island from further erosion and storm damage which not only threatens public property, but also public safety. It is essential that, in addition to addressing the existing damage, we also fortify our shoreline to meet the threat of future storms.”

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