| The killer storm that pummeled the East Monday and left the nation's largest city with a crippled transit system, widespread power outages and severe flooding has resurfaced the debate about how best to protect a city like New York against rising storm surges. "Hurricane Sandy is a wake-up call to all of us in this city and on Long Island," Malcolm Bowman, professor of physical oceanography at State University of New York at Stony Brook, told NBC's Richard Engel, who surveyed the damage from a police helicopter Thursday. "That means designing and building storm surge barriers like many cities in Europe already have." Bowman points to storm surge barrier projects in St. Petersburg, Russia, and in the Netherlands as models. In the Netherlands, a country where a considerable part of the population lives below sea level, such barriers help control flooding in some of the most densely populated areas. "If we had such barriers in place during Hurricane Sandy there would have been no damage at all," Bowman said. Before the storm, Mayor Michael Bloomberg's administration had said it was working to analyze natural risks and the effectiveness of various coast-protection techniques, including storm-surge barriers. But officials had noted that barriers were only one of many ideas, and they have often emphasized more modest, immediate steps the city has taken, such as installing floodgates at sewage plants and raising the ground level while redeveloping a low-lying area in Queens. "It's a series of small interventions that cumulatively, over time, will take us to a more natural system" to deal with climate change and rising sea levels, Carter H. Strickland, the city's environmental commissioner, told The New York Times this summer. Sandy sent a record 14-foot storm surge into New York Harbor, flooding subway tunnels and airports. It forced the closure of the stock market for two days, the first time that's happened for weather-related reasons since 1888. There's no estimate yet for the cost of the devastation in New York City, but forecasting firm IHS Global Insight put the cost of the damage along the coast at $20 billion, plus $10 billion to $30 billion in lost business. Graeme Forsyth, an engineer for CH2M Hill in Glasgow, Scotland told The Associated Press that his firm's early-stage proposal for New York is a levee-like barrier that would stretch five miles from the Rockaway peninsula in Queens on Long Island to the Sandy Hook promontory in New Jersey. The barrier would stop a surge of 30 feet, twice the height from Sandy. Gaps would allow ships, river water and tides through, but movable gates could close off all of New York Bay from the Atlantic when necessary. The barrier would protect most of the city, with the exception of Rockaway itself. It would also shield parts of New Jersey. An animation, produced by the Dutch company Arcadis, shows how a sea gate could protect New York Harbor when a storm surge is imminent. The gates would close and block the water from entering the harbor until the danger has passed. "Some people may say that storm barriers are an extreme solution," Bowman told NBC News. "I just would say it's bold, it's imaginative, it's permanent in the sense that it could protect the city for another 150 years. The Europeans have done it, why can't we?" Some scientists, however, say there needs to be a holistic approach and that barriers are only one part of the solution. Cynthia Rosenzweig, a senior research scientist at the Goddard Institute for Space Studies at Columbia University, told NBC News that as the region rebuilds, developers must take into account rising sea levels. "The better way is for New Yorkers to be smart from engineered solutions like tidal barriers, fixing the subways where they're vulnerable, fixing our sea walls, remaking our wetlands so that we can, across our whole region and for all our 21-and-a-half million people, protect against the next Hurricane Sandy," Rosenzweig said, adding that even the Dutch now admit they can't protect everyone with barriers. In the wake of Sandy, Bloomberg, too, appeared skeptical. "I don't know that I think there's any practical ways to build barriers in the oceans, when you have an enormous harbor like we do," he said in a press conference. But for Bowman, the time to act is now. "It's a question of national security. It's a question of survival. It's a question of the future population being able to live there so it's taken very, very seriously," he said. The Associated Press contributed to this report.  |
11/01/2012
Sandy resurfaces debate on NYC seawall
Source: Secret Service agent kills self
Washington (CNN) -- A Secret Service agent suspected of having a romantic relationship with a Mexican woman is dead of an apparent suicide, a law enforcement official told CNN Thursday. The source said Rafael Prieto, 48, was assigned to President Obama's protective detail. The Secret Service confirmed Thursday that Prieto's death last Saturday is currently being investigated by the Metropolitan Police Department in Washington, along with the medical examiner's office. No official determination of death has been made. Prieto's access to Secret Service facilities had been suspended while authorities were looking into his apparently unreported and long-term relationship with a foreign national, the law enforcement official said. "There is nothing to indicate that any classified or sensitive information was compromised as a result of this relationship," according to the source. The official said Prieto was involved in an "administrative process" about his connection with the woman but that he was not under investigation by the Secret Service's Office of Professional Responsibility. Prieto could have been in violation of Secret Service protocols if he had not informed superiors about a personal relationship with a foreign national. Such relationships came under a spotlight after agents sent to Cartagena, Colombia, in advance of President Obama's trip earlier this year spent time partying with prostitutes. "Rafael Prieto had a distinguished 20-year career with the Secret Service that was marked by accomplishment, dedication, and friendships," said Secret Service spokesman Edwin Donovan. "The Secret Service is mourning the loss of a valued colleague."  |
Video: Mayor becomes rescue responder in wake of hurricane
| >>> last in the news for running into a house fire to rescue his neighbors. tonight, he was in the news because he invited his neighbors to stay at his house with him. he happens to be the mayor of newark , new jersey, the big city just across the way from new york. and they are having big problems. and tonight, tom brokaw reports on cory booker , a hands-on guy with his hands full. >> this is mayor cory booker . we have a power situation, obviously. >> reporter: even before hurricane sandy invaded his town, cory booker had one of the toughest jobs in politics. >> you guys don't have any young babies or kids in there, do you? >> reporter: trying to rebuild newark , constantly buffeted by the winds of poverty and crime. now, 94% of newark is without power. >> we need some lights on in here! >> right now, i'm sending a tweet out to the resident that was concerned about her sick child. >> reporter: booker, once a rhodes scholar , is a high-tech mayor. and his constituents know how to catch up. here's a tweet about a power outage sent by, get this, champagne mommy at playboy bunny . >> what kind of twitter handle do you have here? look at this cute little baby. i have cold milk. we have diapers. i hope those are going to fit. >> reporter: i caught up with him. and he talked about this new world of governing. can you imagine your predecessors going through this without one of these? >> look, i can't even remember three, four years ago before i had that power. just for me, the power of twitter alone, i have tens of thousands of my residents who are letting me know about what's going on, telling me about their neighbors that need somebody to get to them right away. >> reporter: i know that just being mayor in good times is tough. does this just exhaust you? do you say at some point, i can't do this? >> i'm running on adrenaline, caffeine and a love of the community. >> reporter: by using twitter to connect with his community, mayor booker says he's helping to keep the faith . >> we've had amazing zero crimes of opportunity, no looting, no problems like that. i'm going round the clock. >> reporter: booker achieved superhero status when earlier this year he came home to find his neighbor's house on fire . he charged through the flames to rescue her. you're the hands-on mayor. you rushed into a burning building to save a woman, you're all over the city. now you're the diaper deliveryman. >> people in crises don't realize how important the small things are. this doesn't necessarily have to be refrigerated right now. >> reporter: was that family surprised to see -- >> surprising a lot of folks when you get a chance to show up. >> reporter: with an armful of diapers. >> when they tweet you and you call them and say, what's the problem? i'll handle it. people are surprised but appreciative. it ignites that spirit within others as well. >> reporter: booker knows that technology only goes so far. to be a successful politician in any way, a tweet will never replace a hug. >> you need a hug? thank you so much. >> that's how it's done in newark . let's take a drive down the shore, about 65 miles south of there, ron allen is in toms river tonight. and, ron, you and i were together last night in point pleasant beach. now you're in toms river , which i would say is kind of the classic middle class , central jersey shore suburb, 80% of us have an aunt hazel. mine lived on jackson avenue in toms river . we used to visit her, go over to the beach. what have you seen in your travels and what are you learning in getting this masters degree on the jersey shore ? >> reporter: well, first, let me say, i know this place as well, too. i've covered disasters all over the world, but jersey is my home as well. i'm from the northern part of the state, jersey city , montclair. down here, the story is really the destruction that you see that is just really mind-boggling. communities so hard hit that days later, thousands of people haven't been able to even see what happened because they can't come back. authorities are still keeping them out. there's a lot of anger, frustration, a lot of tension because people want to come back in and see what's happened to their homes. they also want to protect their homes. we've been hearing more stories about looting and people concerned about that. we've also heard stories about what people are calling pirates, trying to rob homes in the darkness. there has been progress. there's been power restored to about 1 million homes. but that still means about 40 percent of the state is in the dark. driving around at night is very hazardous. bottom line , people are taking this day by day and not being too concerned about this overwhelming disaster that's here, trying to take it day by day and slowly trying to figure out ways to recover. >> ron, you're so right about that moving target that, line between order and chaos in a society. ron allen , great work in the field this week covering this awful story. thanks for being with us. |
Video: Days after hurricane, true devastation becomes apparent
| >>> enormous area of this country including the most densely populated region of the united states in the grips of an enormous and ongoing crisis tonight. this is another dark, cold night for millions of people and just today for a lot of people, things started feeling a little unhinged because some of the machinery of a civil society has stopped working. houses are ripped apart, people don't have power, they can't buy gasoline. kids aren't going to school. some don't have access to food or water. some new yorkers were looking for still fresh food in dumpsters today that stores had thrown out. the damage stretches for hundreds of miles. the death toll after rising again today stands at 94. and now we're seeing anger as officials learn for the first time of places that are devastated and cut off and not getting help. we begin tonight with nbc's savannah guth rie . >> reporter: 72 hours after sandy walloped the eastern seaboard from southern new jersey to connecticut and beyond, some things are getting better and some worse. particularly on staten island where today the true devastation became apparent. the death toll is rising and so is the anger. >> they're still looking for dead bodies . people that are held unaccountable for. so this death toll , it is going up. but you need to come here and help us. we need assistance. please. >> we have bodies being removed up the block. we are devastated here. there is no red cross . >> reporter: thousands of families left homeless continue to search through the debris. to salvage what little is left. and as temperatures drop, officials say power won't be fully restored for days. and some new york and connecticut suburbs, at least another week in the dark. elsewhere, clean-up and repair efforts tonight while patience wears thin. >> i have two 20-month-old babies. and my cars are under water. i don't have transportation out of here. and what are we supposed to do? we heard from a national grid guy that power's going to be out for six weeks. >> reporter: new york 's mayor michael bloomberg promised more help is on the way . >> we'll begin distributing thousands of bottles of water and thousands of pre-prepared meals at a number of locations in hard-hit areas. >> reporter: the mayor says the city remains safe with few incidents of looting. and this sunday's new york marathon is on, a controversial decision because it will bring as many as 30,000 runners into the already struggled city, weaving through all five boroughs. today, getting around storm-damaged areas at times felt like an exercise in futility. huge lines are forming wherever drivers can find a gas station that has power and working pumps. >> we've been in line about 2 1/2 hours. >> reporter: how many gas stations did you pass before finding this one? >> all of them. i don't know, 20, 30. >> reporter: and a new rule that limits cars coming into new york city to only those with at least three passengers caused miles of incredible back-up at checkpoints. there is some good news. partial subway service was restored and the army corps of engineers is helping to empty a number of still-flooded tunnels. how much water are we talking about that you're going to need to pump out? >> our estimates right this point in time are 300 million to 400 million gallons of water. >> reporter: one silver lining from sandy, the floodwaters killed at least a few of the millions of rats that have been the menace of subway stations. but drinking water remains unsafe in many communities. floodwaters filled with a toxic brew of raw sewage and chemicals are making clean-up even harder. >> insurance companies are telling us to empty our houses out, to clean the stuff and leave it in our property. but is it safe for us to breathe in that stuff? it's all toxic. it's raw sewage . >> reporter: in coney island , the new york aquarium remains flooded. staffers are pumping the dirty water as fast as they can. but if they can't clear it soon, they'll have to somehow move all the animals. and along the battered jersey shore in those apocalyptic scenes of destruction, in seaside heights , one man got a first look at his destroyed business. >> we just cried. it's an emotional, emotional thing, you know? to lose everything like that in one night, one storm. >> reporter: finally in places like hoboken, new jersey, a city that was overwhelm bd flooding, those lucky enough to have power are sharing it with those who don't. and people like maggie are opening their homes for anyone who need the hot meal. >> i would so incredibly grateful that i had everything still intact that all i had to do was pay it back and pay it forward. >> reporter: instantly becoming one of a growing number of everyday heroes . >> that's kind of what we're dealing with here tonight. savannah guthrie starting us off this |
Police: Mom kills children to hurt father
(CNN) -- A Chicago-area woman has been charged with killing her 5-year-old son and a 7-year-old girl as she babysat them, allegedly stabbing each dozens of times in a bedroom this week as they pleaded for their lives, authorities say. Elzbieta Plackowska, 40, of Naperville, Illinois, allegedly told police she instructed her son Justin Plackowska and the girl, Olivia Dworakowski, to kneel and pray before she fatally stabbed them and two dogs at the girl's home on Tuesday evening, Naperville police said. Plackowska -- charged Thursday with two counts of first-degree murder -- allegedly gave investigators a number of reasons why she killed the children, the most recent of which was that she was upset with her husband and wanted to cause him pain, according to police. "She began stabbing her son Justin and told him he was going to heaven tonight," DuPage County prosecutor Bob Berlin told reporters Thursday, citing Plackowska's alleged statements to police. "He pleaded for his life and told her to stop, but she continued stabbing him until he was dead." Plackowska was being held Thursday without opportunity for bail. If convicted, she would face a mandatory sentence of life in prison with no possibility of parole. CNN's attempts to reach lawyer Mike Mara, a DuPage County public defender representing Plackowska, weren't immediately successful. Police officers found the children's bodies in Olivia's home Tuesday night after Elzbieta Plackowska, covered in blood, arrived at a nearby friend's house and claimed she had been robbed, police said. The friend called police. Around the same time, Olivia's mother called police to say she had come home from work and couldn't enter the house because there was a strange lock on the door, and that she couldn't find Plackowska or the children, Berlin said. Officers forced entry into the home and "walked into a scene of unimaginable horror," finding the bodies on the floor of the master bedroom, Berlin said. Investigators said Plackowska offered several explanations, including that she believed an intruder killed the children, police said. Later, she told police that the children had evil inside them and she needed to drive the devil out, authorities said. "She ultimately admitted that she had lied to the police in her earlier statements and stated she was angry with her husband," Berlin said. Plackowska told investigators that she told the children to get ready for bed, and the kids entered the master bedroom, Berlin said. Plackowska said she then went to the kitchen, took two knives, entered the bedroom and told the children to kneel on the floor and pray, according to Berlin. She told police she stabbed Justin repeatedly, and then stabbed Olivia because Olivia saw her attacking Justin, according to Berlin. She said Olivia, like Justin, pleaded for her life, Berlin said. Police said Justin was stabbed about 100 times, and Olivia about 50 times. "She did not express any remorse," Berlin said. Naperville Police Chief Bob Marshall told reporters that the "senseless taking of the lives of these two children defies logic, and our community is grieving." In all my years of law enforcement, this is the most gruesome and horrific crime scene that I have seen," Marshall said at the news conference. Plackowska told police she was upset with her husband in part because he was gone most days, working as a truck driver, and that she felt he didn't treat her as she deserved. Plackowska is awaiting a November 21 arraignment. CNN's Shawn Nottingham and Jason Hanna contributed to this report. |
Agent detailed PLO co-founder's killing
Breezy Point residents wonder where help is
 Miranda Leitsinger/ NBC News Joe Adinolfi, a 48-year-old firefighter, and John Manning, 45-year-old firefighter, stand in the front of the home of Manning's mother in Breezy Point, N.Y. Her basement was flooded, and the pair said they were concerned about getting the services needed to help with the cleanup as the temperatures chilled. The community lost more than 100 homes to a fire triggered by Hurricane Sandy, and many others were damaged or destroyed by flooding in the storm. By Miranda Leitsinger, NBC News Some residents in Breezy Point, a tiny seaside community on New York's western tip inundated by flooding and ravaged by a fire triggered by Hurricane Sandy, questioned Wednesday when help would arrive from the American Red Cross, the National Guard, and the Sanitation Department and other city agencies that would provide key services. While they cleaned their homes of the debris, some worried about rotting food and mold, while others said it would be nice to have a blanket or a hot cup of tea or coffee as the New York weather dipped into the low 50s with chilly gusts off the ocean making it feel even colder. Others asked about getting a temporary cell tower since a weak signal made it very tough to make calls after the disaster. "Don't leave us. Don't leave us," said John Manning, a 45-year-old EMT with the New York Fire Department. His friend, firefighter Joe Adinolfi, said he had for the first time less than an hour before spotted the Red Cross in Breezy Point, where the fire claimed more than 100 homes. "I understand there's casualties and tragedy everywhere, and I'm sure they are spread out thin," Manning said. He noted that firefighters and police were assisting the community, and that there were casualties and destruction elsewhere, but he said he had seen workers from city agencies come down to Breezy Point and take photos – and then leave without helping. Related stories
"That's very disheartening. A community has a hardship, a total disaster," he said. "Help us, don't come down and take pictures." As he stood in ankle-high water in the basement of his mother's flooded house, where streams of pink insulation hung in rows, he said that he was overwhelmed by the cleanup prospect and the disaster that had struck his community. His sister's house nearby was damaged as was his own, too. "I'm numb. I have no emotions," he said. "And I know it's going to come. I'm going to break down real soon. … I'm just numb. I'm overwhelmed." NBC's Kerry Sanders takes an aerial look at the Breezy Point community in Queens, New York, which suffered a devastating fire during this week's storm and still has flood waters filling the desolate streets. More content from NBCNews.com:
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