Federal Storm Surge Study Called Off Suddenly, Leaving New York Exposed

"The federal government has abruptly halted a study of New York City's coastal storm surge preparedness, " reports Jake Offenhartz, "throwing into question the fate of the region's most expansive climate resiliency effort and fueling speculation about politically motivated retribution by the Trump administration."

"The study was launched in 2017 by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to evaluate five possible defenses against severe storms and flooding that threaten coastal communities and the New York/New Jersey harbor," according to Offenhartz. After the study was shelved quietly last week, Army Corps officials blamed the decision on a "funding lapse."

Robert Freudenberg, vice president for energy and environment at the Regional Plan Association, is quoted in the article saying the decision is dangerous and unprecedented. Freudenberg also suggests in the article that the decision is motivated by politics. President Trump Tweeted on the subject of the $119 billion stormwall under consideration to protect the city, saying the barrier looks terrible and is "foolish."

A massive 200 Billion Dollar Sea Wall, built around New York to protect it from rare storms, is a costly, foolish & environmentally unfriendly idea that, when needed, probably won’t work anyway. It will also look terrible. Sorry, you’ll just have to get your mops & buckets ready!

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 18, 2020