Super Storm Sandy: Five Years Later Conference
NOV. 3, 2017 — The Super Storm Sandy: Five Years Later conference was organized by the Meadowlands Environmental Research Institute (MERI).
With over 150 attendees, the conference featured 28 oral presentations and over 20 posters. The presentations touched on a number of post- Super Storm Sandy-related topics including: sediment and contaminate transport, assessing fugitive chemicals and exposure to recovery workers, uncertainty in sea surge forecasts, retreat strategies from coastal areas and effective communication when explaining the weather, among others. The conference provided a forum for the exchange of ideas across disciplines that helped create a consensus on how to make our coastal communities and ecosystems more resilient in the future.
The presentation by OR&R scientist Ed Levine covered the multiple roles NOAA has during these types of disaster events. Whenever possible, comparisons and contrasts to some improvements between Sandy in 2012 and 2017’s spate of hurricanes were highlighted. The NOAA roles covered included the OR&R spill response, information management, damage assessment, and marine debris. Additional NOAA roles from the Navigation Response Team; NGS Photogrammetry; NWS predictions and storm surge modeling; and NMFS consultations and grants. Other representatives attending from the NWS gave presentations that were more detailed as they were subject matter experts.
Additional contributors to the presentation were: Frank Csulak, Steve Lehmann, Jill Bodner, Jay Cody, JB Huyett (ORR), LCDR. Megan McGovern (NOAA Corps), Jason Rolfe (MDP), Karen Greene (NMFS), and Jacqui Michel (RPI).
Contact Ed.Levine@noaa.gov for further information.