Gov. Andrew Cuomo has unveiled a series of community-driven rebuilding proposals aimed at helping storm-battered cities, towns and villages throughout New York become more resilient. Under the state’s Rising Community Reconstruction Program (NYRCR), eligible communities affected by hurricanes Sandy and Irene as well as Tropical Storm Lee may receive up to $25 million for rebuilding and revitalization efforts.

Photo Courtesy of the Governor's Office

New York Rising: The program, which was established by Gov. Cuomo in April 2013, received more than 700 rebuilding project proposals.

The program, which Cuomo established in April 2013, received more than 700 project proposals, “and we are committed to move toward implementation together,” says Jamie Rubin, state storm recovery director, said in an April 23 statement.

“Rebuilding our communities is something that we cannot do from Albany or Washington, rather, we have to do it community by community across the state,” Cuomo said at an April 23 conference related to the proposals.

The program is funded almost entirely by more than $600 million of federal funds through the Community Development Block Grant-Disaster Recovery program.

Among the hundreds of proposals submitted, the NYRCR Fire Island Planning Committee seeks to develop a comprehensive island-wide ocean and bay shoreline management strategy.