Hurricane Sandy NYCDEP Pump Station Emergency Recovery and Repair – New York

Rapid Response

In late October 2012, Hurricane Sandy—a Category 2 storm at its peak—wreaked havoc on parts of the U.S. east coast. The hurricane caused severe and widespread damage in the U.S., where it destroyed thousands of homes, brought on severe flooding, and uprooted countless trees. The estimated cost of $65.6 billion makes it the second costliest Atlantic hurricane, behind only Hurricane Katrina.

The storm submerged many New York City Department of Environmental Protection (NYCDEP) treatment plants and much of its electrical equipment in seawater—10 of 14 wastewater treatment plants and more than 30 out of 96 sanitary sewer pumping stations were rendered inoperable as a result of the storm, threatening operations and public safety.

The day after the storm, NYCDEP selected Parsons to provide construction management services for those pumping stations that were heavily damaged by the storm. Within hours of NYCDEP’s initial request for assistance, we—along with our partnering firm—mobilized more than 80 employees, consisting of engineering, construction, and safety professionals. The team’s duties included:

• Performing 24/7 oversight as temporary pumping and electrical services were implemented
• Evaluating, estimating, and documenting damage
• Assessing the condition of each affected pump station, identifying necessary repairs, and developing emergency construction work orders to permanently repair 13 of the most heavily damaged stations
• Protecting against similar events in the future

Parsons’ team mobilized employees from around the country along with local employees who were affected by the storm. Just a week after landfall, our team restored NYCDEP’s pumping stations to partial operation. Our combination of best practices, phased approach, and technological solutions reduced long lead times and delays, helping to rapidly restore service to NYCDEP’s pumping stations. In addition, damage estimates were produced more efficiently and accurately, helping authorities get a handle on the funding necessary for rebuilding. NYCDEP recognized our performance under extremely challenging conditions—remote locations, lost power, disrupted transportation, and erratic internet—and on December 5, 2012, we received a letter from the NYCDEP Commissioner expressing his gratitude for our team’s outstanding work. His letter noted, “Your aid in providing construction management services at pumping stations was instrumental in our recovery efforts. Thank you again for your exceptional work in response to Hurricane Sandy.”

Featured May 2013/Updated Aug 2017