In late 2012 Superstorm Sandy left widespread damage throughout the United States Northeast and Atlantic coast. The storm caused severe wind and flood damage throughout the Northeast affecting many Arup staff and temporarily closing the New York office. Arup Americas Community Engagement implemented a salary matching program to provide aid to the American Red Cross and the Salvation Army. Arup pledged $10,000 to disaster relief.

Superstorm Sandy will have long-lasting ramifications for the residents of the New York City metropolitan area. The hurricane brought with it a 14-foot storm surge that exposed the lack of resilience many cities have against these natural disasters. And both history and climate change science tell us this will happen again.

Out of Sandy comes an opportunity to plan our future. Cities at risk will need resilient infrastructure masterplanning frameworks to identify the appropriate solutions. Protection of critical infrastructure that allows our society to function is imperative, including electrical substations, transportation tunnels, wastewater treatment plants, etc. Combating storm surges that rise up to 14-ft will require a multitude of solutions, including some large-scale ‘hard’ infrastructure investments, restoration of eco-system services, green infrastructure and resilient urban planning. Arup continues to be involved in the efforts to ensure resiliency for New York City.