Letter: Preparing ahead for extreme weather
Herricks Road north of Hillside Avenue in Garden City Park was closed due to flooding on Thursday, May 1, 2014. Credit: Barry Sloan
Regarding "A drenching reminder to keep improving" [Editorial, Aug. 13], Newsday is spot-on: We have a tremendous amount of work ahead to get Long Island ready for climate change and the extreme weather events scientists predict for our region.
Fortunately, we can get started right away. A bill passed by the State Legislature in June -- called the Community Risk and Resiliency Act -- is headed to Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo's desk for his signature. He should sign it as soon as possible.
The act requires New York to consider climate change and extreme weather when allocating state money or issuing permits. It also calls for the creation of model local laws concerning climate change risk that will help Long Island cities and towns prepare.
For too long, Long Island has been reacting to these weather events, rather than making the changes that we need ahead of time. This legislation marks a transition to working proactively to reduce risk and increase community resilience.
Mitchell Pally, Stony Brook
Editor's note: The writer is the Long Island chapter chairman of the New York League of Conservation Voters.
