Great Ecology, the Turner Miller Group, and the Town of Stony Point, NY, were awarded a $50,000 grant by the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (NYSDEC) Hudson River Estuary Program, in partnership with the New England Interstate Water Pollution Control Commission (NEIWPCC). The grant will help the coastal community prepare for sea-level rise, storm surge, and waterfront flooding. Stony Point is one of three Hudson River Estuary communities awarded a grant.

The waterfronts and shorelines of the three communities were significantly damaged during recent super storms. Extreme weather events highlight the region’s vulnerability to flooding. Furthermore, the Hudson River Estuary sea level has risen six (6) inches in the past 50 years. Coastal resiliency planning to protect shorelines and coastal communities is essential.

The purpose of these grants is to assist Hudson River shoreline communities in preparing for climate change and to facilitate technical assistance from appropriate state agencies. These grants directly support New York Governor, Andrew Cuomo’s, climate change priorities to make New York more resilient by dedicated to improving infrastructure, using natural infrastructure, rebuilding smarter, and using an interdisciplinary approach.

Great Ecology will develop a Coastal Vulnerability Index (CVI) using geospatial modeling to evaluate the vulnerability to flooding caused by rising sea levels and increased storm severity. This will allow the team to identify the risks to infrastructure and property from sea level rise and flooding, evaluate the feasibility and priorities of possible solutions, and recommend steps the community can take to be better prepared.