Who We Are & Why We Exist
The Metropolitan NY-NJ-LI Storm Surge Working Group (SSWG) is a professional alliance of experienced urban planners, community leaders, marine and atmospheric scientists, engineers, architects, environmentalists, social scientists and media specialists drawn from across the tri-state region.
Our Mission & Influence
Sea level rise and extreme storm surge are two major climate risks that threaten the metro region.
The SSWG seeks regional perspectives and solutions to these serious coastal flooding issues within New York City, Long Island, New Jersey, and western Connecticut.
SSWG Chair, Dr. Malcolm Bowman
In 2005, Distinguished Professor, Oceanographer, & Storm Surge Working Group Chair Malcolm Bowman, wrote an op-ed in the New York Times. Published just after Hurricane Katrina's devastating toll on Lousiana, Chair Bowman urged the City of New York to heed warning and prepare for extreme weather events that will have dangerous impact.
Less than 10 years later, Dr. Bowman was proven correct with the intense landfall of Superstorm Sandy and the storm's devastating consequences. Now, another nine years later, New York City and coastal New Jersey still lack protective infrastructure against future storm surges.
Sandy.mp4Superstorm Sandy Image: NOAA
The destruction caused by Superstorm Sandy left many without their homes, employment and basic amenities. Representative photos shown were taken along the south shore of Long Island and the eastern shore of NJ where many homes, businesses , industries and transportation systems were flooded , destroyed or burned to the ground.
During Superstorm Sandy's aftermath, communities banned together to assist in the recovery from the widespread damage. The Metropolitan Storm Surge Working Group promotes cost-effective and environmentally safe solutions to avoid future damages related to loss of life and property from extreme weather events, such as hurricanes and winter nor'easters.
Executive Committee discussion of flooding issues at the historic Fraunces Tavern in Lower Manhattan, which was was seriously flooded and damaged during Superstorm Sandy.
The Metro NY-NJ-LI Storm Surge Working Group meets regularly in New York City, and via virtual platforms, to discuss important issues related to the safety and security of Metropolitan New York, Northern New Jersey, and Long Island.
