Befod & Bowery: Six years ago today, Superstorm Sandy hit New York City. Streets were flooded, buildings were destroyed, some $19 billion in damage occurred, and 43 people lost their lives. In the Seaport District, water levels reached four feet high. Six years after the city announced that it would build a U-shaped wall designed to protect it from future natural disasters, the plan still has not been carried out.

On Thursday, at a press conference on Pier 16, Manhattan Borough President Gale A. Brewer called for a more comprehensive plan to protect against future storms and sea-level rise.

In many parts of the city, the so-called “Big U” project hasn’t been fully funded, though promises have been issued by the municipal, state and federal governments. The Lower East Side has received $338 million in federal funding in addition to $422 million committed by the city. But the Financial District and neighboring parts of Lower Manhattan have been left vulnerable, without the proper financing and planning. Some elected officials believe the inaction is a direct result of governmental failures to come together and move toward a sustainable solution. Continue reading>>