State Sandy commissions make recommendations

Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo, who created the panels on storm readiness and disaster response, said he would incorporate some of the ideas in his 2013 agenda, to be unveiled next week in his State of the State address.

"But I believe it is essential and I'm willing to invest [state] money in this area," the governor said.

Asked if the state ignored storm-preparedness requirements in the past, Cuomo said New York has gradually improved its systems, but not enough to keep pace with more frequent and severe storms.

"You have predictability and then you have probability," he said. "There is a feasibility [factor] with all these propositions and you have to weigh it against the probability and against the costs. You can be prepared for a lot of things, but the question is how much are you going to pay and what is the probability that those things will occur."

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The state, under a 1978 law, is supposed to update its storm response plans regularly -- but that hasn't happened.

State legislative reports have been warning for years that New York could be hit with a major hurricane or other storm and suffer significant coastal damage. A 2006 Assembly report -- prepared after Hurricane Katrina savaged the Gulf Coast -- said: "It's not a question of whether a strong hurricane will hit New York City; it's just a question of when."

The report, which focused on the New York metro areas' vulnerability to storm surge, was even the focus of a special episode on The Weather Channel.

The panels that announced their findings Thursday recommended creating an emergency-management training program to be housed at either the State University of New York or the City University of New York. They also said the state should build a database of "vulnerable" people, such as those in health care facilities, to better direct emergency response, and establish an "emergency stockpile" of essential supplies and equipment such as generators and light towers.

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Another suggestion was to establish a "civilian emergency response corps" of electricians, pipe fitters and debris-removal experts who could expedite recovery efforts.

THE PLAN

Key recommendations by Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo's panels on storm readiness and storm response:

SEE PHOTOSAerial views of Sandy damage

geographic areas.