WASHINGTON – There are 56 federally funded flood gauges in the Hudson Valley with a total of over 200 throughout the entire state. Funding expires on a regular basis and there is an ongoing battle to have it restored.
Senator Charles Schumer (D-NY) announced on Wednesday he is pushing to have long-term funding for the gauges – 300 new ones in New York alone.
He acknowledged the federal budget is facing tough times, but he said not providing the $63 million to expand the flood gauge program would be pennywise and pound-foolish.
“I am aware difficult choices have to be allocated in allocating increasingly scarce resources, but this one is a no-brainer,” he said. “As we learned from Irene and Lee and Sandy and the recent flooding in the Mohawk Valley, the Southern Tier, the Hudson Valley and parts of Western New York, we can’t shortchange programs that our communities rely on to keep their citizens safe and well informed.”
Schumer said in light of the recent storms and flooding, it is imperative that the gauges be installed and funded on a permanent basis.