Schumer Calls On Army Corps To Make Upper Susquehanna Flood Mitigation A Top Priority

Schumer Calls On Army Corps To Make Upper Susquehanna Flood Mitigation A Top Priority

Today, U.S. Senator Charles E. Schumer intensified his call for the Army Corps of Engineers to conduct the Comprehensive Watershed Management Study of the Upper Susquehanna River Basin. In the wake of two major floods last year in the Upper Susquehanna River Basin, Schumer said the study is needed now more than ever to prevent future floods. In a letter to Army Corps of Engineers Lieutenant General Carl Strock, Schumer noted that the study had been authorized more than ten years ago, yet funding has never been approved. Schumer urged Lt. General Strock to immediately direct any funds that may be available through the FY07 Continuing Resolution (CR) to begin the study.

"A flood prevention study was commissioned more than a decade ago for the Upper Susquehanna River Basin, yet nothing has happened while the floods have destroyed thousands of homes and businesses in the Southern Tier," Schumer said. "The Army Corps needs to start this project before the next flood season." Following the June floods, the Federal Emergency Management Agency awarded close to $100 million in Public Assistance funding to the Southern Tier region, and over $30 million in Individual Assistance to nearly 10,000 applicants. Just as the lives of those in the Southern Tier were beginning to normalize following the summer storms, the region was hit yet again in November. These floods compounded the problems that began over summer, and resulted in millions dollars more in FEMA aid.

In his letter, Schumer wrote "this reconnaissance study was authorized well over ten years ago, and while the residents of the region have patiently waited for it to begin, they have been slammed year after year by damaging storms and subsequent destructive floods. The floods of this past summer were the worst yet. The need for an effective, long-term solution is pressing; those who live and work in the region can not continue to bear the devastation that these floods bring."

One such company, the manufacturer Amphenol which employees around 1500 workers faced $21 million in losses to facility, machinery and equipment, as well as a loss of $25 million in sales after June's flood. If aggressive flood mitigation measures aren't put in place, other employers may consider leaving the area as well. Schumer said that if aggressive flood mitigation measures aren't put in place, other regional businesses may also consider leaving the area.

http://schumer.senate.gov/SchumerWebsite/pressroom/record.cfm?id=269602