SCHUMER, GILLIBRAND ANNOUNCE NEARLY $2.5 MILLION TO JUMPSTART LONG DESIRED FLOOD MITIGATION PROJECTS IN CLARKSTOWN TO HELP KEEP RESIDENTS AND DRIVERS SAFE FROM FREQUANT FLOODING ON ROCKLAND’S ROADWAYS
Rockland County & Clarkstown Have Long Been Subject To Recurrent Flooding During Storms
Now Schumer’s Delivering $2+ Million For Town Of Clarkstown For The Jeffrey Court Flood Prevention Project To Help Area Frequently Plagued By Hackensack River Overflow, And Working With Gillibrand Is Also Delivering $375K To Begin Study of NYS Thruway To Divert Water To Keep Rockland’s Roads Safe
Schumer: New Fed $$$ Will Help Get Long Needed Clarkstown Flood Mitigation Projects Back On Track
U.S. Senate Majority Leader Charles E. Schumer today announced alongside Senator Gillibrand they have secured $2,475,000 in the Fiscal Year 2024 appropriations package to strengthen flood mitigation in the Town of Clarkstown. The funding will go to the to the Town of Clarkstown and the New York State Thruway Authority to help address recurrent flooding in the area along Jeffery Court and along the NYS Thruway. The senators personally secured funding for this project as a congressionally directed spending request.
“For too long Clarkstown and Rockland County residents have had to deal with frequent flooding that can shut down our roads and put life at risk, but now I am proud to say help is on the way to jumpstart long needed flood mitigation projects to tackle this problem head on. This nearly $2.5 million in federal funding will help Clarkstown and NYS begin the work needed to ensure Rockland residents don’t need to worry about severe flooding every time they hear a forecast of rain,” said Senator Schumer. “I am committed to getting all the resources Rockland County needs to boost flood mitigation and build the strong resilient infrastructure needed to protect our communities, and this is a critical first step to making that happen.”
“Increasingly frequent severe flooding throughout the Hudson Valley has been catastrophic for residents, businesses, and commuters,” said Senator Gillibrand. “Major flooding traps cars and slows down first responders, putting New Yorkers in dangerous, even deadly, situations. It’s unacceptable, and today, I’m delivering nearly $2.5 million to make the NYS Thruway more resilient against severe weather and help end local flooding once and for all. I fought to secure this funding in the 2024 government funding bill, and I will keep working to deliver federal resources to this project until it is completed.”
NYS Assembly member Kenneth Zebrowski Jr. said, “The residents of Jeffrey Court hold their breath during every major rain storm. I have personally witnessed boats floating down the street as homes are overwhelmed with water. This neighborhood desperately needs a major investment and thankfully we have a champion like Senator Schumer who works tirelessly on local issues.”
Specifically, $2.1 million will go to the Town of Clarkstown for its long-desired Jeffrey Court Flood Prevention. This funding will boost flood mitigation efforts such as improved drainage and levee construction in the Jeffrey Court neighborhood that has been prone to frequent flooding from overflows from the Hackensack River during heavy rain storm.
In addition, the NYS Thruway Authority will receive $375,000 to develop a scoping study to determine the best alternative to address flooding issues at Milepost 19.51 on the New York State Thruway in the Town of Clarkstown caused by the current culvert that diverts water away from the Thruway that cannot handle the outflow of water during heavy rainfall, thereby, causing significant damage to infrastructure, creating hazardous driving conditions, and causing significant delays in the movement of vehicles and freight.
###
