Superstorm Sandy Recovery and Hazard Mitigation Planning

The incidence and impact of catastrophic natural events with the potential to reduce or disrupt critical services to a population appear to be on the rise. As our built and natural environment changes, so do the needs of the populations we serve. Hazard mitigation planning for critical infrastructure is the process of analyzing a system’s risk from natural hazards and its capability to handle them, identifying methods to address risk and capability weaknesses, coordinating available resources, and implementing actions to reduce identified risks. The purpose of multi-hazard mitigation for critical infrastructure is twofold. To protect the functionality of such facilities so they can serve the needs of their population and to minimize the costs of disaster response and recovery. Protecting functionality is paramount.As a case study, we will discuss the Bergen County Utilities Authority’s (BCUA) Little Ferry Water Pollution Control Facility (LFWPCF) which was affected by Superstorm Sandy.