LaGuardia Airport To Get $37M In Anti-Flood Aid
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork/AP) -- LaGuardia Airport is set to receive $37.5 million in federal and state funds for five projects designed to protect it from another storm like by superstorm Sandy.
Gov. Andrew Cuomo said the money will go toward five projects -- some already under way -- including construction of a concrete floodwall, installation of gravity drains and the replacement of generators.
LaGuardia Airport To Get $37M In Anti-Flood Aid
"Our goal is not to rebuild what was from Hurricane Sandy; our goal is to build back better than before," Cuomo told reporters, including CBS 2's Janelle Burrell.
"Together, these five projects will significantly reduct LaGuardia Airport's vulnerability to storm-induced flooding," Patrick Foye, executive director of the Port Authority, which runs the airport.
He added that while nearly $40 million is a lot of money, one day of lost service at the airport costs New York about $54 million.
LaGuardia was closed for three days after Sandy flooded the airport with 100 million gallons of seawater. Thirty-three hundred flights were canceled, disrupting 250,000 travelers. The airport is located between two bays on the East River.
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Cuomo said about $28 million of the costs will be covered by federal disaster recovery funds awarded to the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey.
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