Post Sandy F.I. Ferry Schedule     ROE Document (PDF)

Latest Hurricane Sandy – Clearance Update PDF Document   

 

THE SEAVIEW COMMUNITY FUND, INC.

INVITES YOU

to Join Your Friends and Neighbors

at the

4th Annual Seaview Community

~WELCOME BACK DINNER~

BOCCE BEACH

Saturday, May 18th

6:30PM

Open Bar, Cocktail Hour, Buffet Dinner, Beverages, Desserts

$75 per person, all inclusive

Seating is Limited. Please respond promptly!

RESERVATIONS AND PAYMENT MUST BE MADE IN ADVANCE

Reserve: Contact Joan Brown at 212-362-5121 or joanandjordan@aol.com

Pay: Send checks payable to: Seaview Community Fund, Inc.

c/o Arlene Kossoff, Treasurer

375 West End Ave. # 8D

New York, NY 10024

Or via PayPal at: donations@Seaviewfireisland.com

 

 

2009 FIRE ISLAND BEACH RENOURISHMENT PROJECT POST-SANDY STORM REPORT(PDF-Download)

FACT SHEET: Fire Island Debris Removal Contract Protest
February 1, 2013

Background
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers awarded an $8.8 million contract Jan. 25, 2013 to DS3 Enterprises for the removal of an estimated 82,500 cubic yards of debris from Fire Island. The debris resulted from Hurricane Sandy, which struck the island Oct. 29, 2012. The Corps of Engineers received a protest Jan. 30 by another company that also bid on the contract.

Current Actions
The Corps ordered DS3 to suspend work while the protest is reviewed for merit. The work stoppage allows a review of the procurement process to ensure the contract was awarded fairly.

The Corps is unable to say how long this process may take, due to the dynamics involved with the issue. It is possible it could be resolved in a few days, or it may take several weeks.

Federal law requires government agencies to spend taxpayer money in a manner that promotes fair competition. The law makes specific provisions for how contracts are to be awarded, and how businesses can appeal (or protest) if they feel the process has not been followed.

Next Actions
The review is being conducted by procurement staff and lawyers within the Corps. The goal is to resolve this issue as quickly as possible to resume the work of removing Sandy debris from Fire Island.

If the protest has merit, proposals could be re-evaluated or re-bid. If the protest is found without merit, the Corps will work to have the protest withdrawn.

The Corps remains committed to working through this issue to find a solution to clean up the Sandy debris on Fire Island. Staff are involved with this issue from the field up to headquarters. We recognize the debris continues to pose a health and safety threat, and we understand the urgency of resolving this issue as quickly as possible.

 

Additional information will be forthcoming as it becomes available

 

Hurricane Sandy – Clearance Update
December 23, 2012

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has approved $30 million for clearance, removal and disposal efforts in Fire Island.

The Army Corps of Engineers (Corps) will be managing this project for FEMA. Their Debris Management Plan emphasizes the use of local Island contractors dues to the unique conditions on the Island. Unlike the mainland communities where there is room on sidewalks and roads in front of people's homes to temporarily store debris until municipal sanitation trucks can collect it, there is no room on the narrow sidewalks that run through Fire Island. Piling the debris on our walks would be impractical, and also would impede the right of way for emergency vehicles.

The Towns of Brookhaven and Islip have therefore mailed residents a ‘Right of Entry’ form which will help facilitate the cleanup. A Right of Entry is a legal form that gives the Corps and its contractors permission to go on private property to remove debris. The term “Right of Entry” in this case means you will be giving permission to authorized contractors employed by the ACE to go onto your property to remove debris, not to enter your home.

The attached FAQ sheet from the ACE gives additional information about this debris removal process.

Additional important points:
• The Corps will not remove sand from private property, unless it blocks access to someone's home, impinges on public right-a-ways, or otherwise poses a risk to health and safety.

• The FAQ sheet indicates that your signature only needs to be witnessed. For Town of Islip residents, this is confirmed. For Town of Brookhaven residents, however, there will be a requirement on the form for notarized signature.

• Because of the holiday, we have been advised that the deadline for returning the form will most likely be extended.

To enable FEMA via the Army Corps to remove debris without cost to the property owners, their goal is to attain a 75% positive ROE response from Fire Island residents. If you do not have any debris on your property, or you have already had your debris removed privately, of course you are not obligated to return the ROE form. However, please consider that in many cases, debris removal contractors may have to cross your property in order to remove debris from a neighbor’s property. Permission from you would therefore help others.

It is anticipated that debris removal work will begin in late January, and be completed in time for the summer season. When we know more about the schedule for collection in Seaview, we will give you the information so that you can be sure to have any storm-related debris placed outside your home on your property for removal.
Any additional questions can be emailed to .

Army Corp ROE document...Download Here.

 

 

 

Hurricane Sandy – Update #11
November, 2012

Seaview Association Meeting (Save the Date)
The Board of Directors is planning on holding an informational meeting for all Seaview residents on Monday November 26th, 2012, at 6:30 p.m., location has yet to be determined. We will be sending out the meeting location notice shortly.

Returning to Seaview
Our residents were permitted to return for a visit to their homes starting last Wednesday. As of yesterday, 319 residents came over to Seaview and 216 homes were visited. Some residents decided to come over several times over the five day period. The Seaview residents that returned were greeted by Larry Mattiasen (our Manager) and the Seaview staff when they got off the boat in Seaview. Our staff was available to answer any questions or concerns.

Mandatory Evacuation
The mandatory evacuation has been lifted. Residents are being permitted to return to the Island as they wish. As of this point, no one will be keeping track of our resident’s coming or goings. It is advised that you let a friend know you are going to be on the Island and when you leave. You should refer to the Fire Island Ferry website to determine the ferry schedule http://www.fireislandferries.com.

As a reminder, there is no electricity, no public bathrooms, no grocery stores or places to get anything to eat, it is getting very cold and the Seaview water is in the process of being shut off for the winter. Residents should not light their fireplaces, because fire is a major danger right now on the Island. One ember could potentially cause a fire of catastrophic proportions. No one should touch their LIPA electric connections.

Insurance Adjusters
Insurance adjusters can now come over to Seaview when their schedules permit. Residents should make appointments with their insurance adjusters, so that their adjusters can gain proper access to their home. Residents should make sure that their adjusters have directions to their homes, because some streets do not have street signs since the hurricane.

The Seaview Board has been informed that some “public” adjusters have been making their way around Seaview. They have been offering themselves as an intermediary between you (the insured) and your insurance company adjuster. They promise to get you a larger percentage of monies for your loss than what your insurance might offer you.

Public adjusters can be effective, but please consult with an attorney or family member before signing with them. Historically, they charge between 5% and 7% of your recovered claim as their fee. We have heard about a “public” adjuster trying to sign residents up for as much as 10%. Please do not let them take advantage of you.

Dune Reinforcement

The Seaview staff has been very busy trying to reinforce our dunes. The Association has been granted a DEC permit that allows scraping of all the sand that was left on our streets after the hurricane, back onto the beach.

A Seaview resident has donated hundreds of geo-cubes to the Association that we have been filling with the sand from the scraping. These geo-cubes are made of nylon and are 3’ x 3’ x 3’ cubes or supersized sand bags. We have been placing these geo-cubes on our dune line as an initial step in reinforcing our beach protective barrier in the areas that had the most significant erosion.

Fire Departments

Our local fire departments (Ocean Beach and Ocean Bay Park) have been instrumental in the recovery and re-occupation of Seaview. Many members of these departments risked their lives and stayed on Fire Island through the hurricane. These fire department members are volunteers from our communities. They gave up their full time jobs to stay on the Island for the last several weeks to protect us and our homes.

The day after the hurricane, they were responsible for extinguishing a house fire that started on Surfview Walk. They not only put the fire out, but they prevented neighboring homes from catching fire as well.

As you may already know, some of their equipment was damaged during the hurricane and needs to be replaced.

We encourage Seaview residents to show their appreciation by making a tax-deductible contribution directly to;

Ocean Beach Fire Department, P.O. Box 386, Ocean Beach, NY 11770

Ocean Bay Park Fire Department, P.O. Box 425, Ocean Beach, NY, 11770

Last Hurricane Update
The Seaview Board of Directors has now put out eleven (11) informational updates and had one community conference call regarding Hurricane Sandy and the aftermath in Seaview. This will be the last formal update about Hurricane Sandy. All future updates will be in regard to the Seaview infrastructure, beach replenishment, community information, resident meetings, etc.

Questions – If you have questions, please email them to the Seaview Board of
Directors at seaviewfeedback@gmail.com.

Hurricane Sandy – Update # 10
Monday November 17, 2012

Sunday Added – Town officials have approved an additional boat over to Seaview tomorrow (Sunday November 18th) to accommodate any residents who still would like to make it out to Seaview. Please refer to the Fire Island Ferry schedule for the time of the boats. Check their website at http://www.fireislandferries.com/updates/

Fire Calls - In the last few days, there have been several fire calls on the Island relating to residents who have either tried to; energize their residential power, tried to remove or replace their residential LIPA meter or made a fire in their fireplace and left the house with burning embers.

Please refrain from any of these activities while visiting your home. We have a limited number of first responders on the whole Island that have been keeping our homes safe.

A plan has been approved by Town and County officials to allow Seaview residents to return to Seaview for a few hours on Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday.

Plan: The Fire Island Ferry will most likely run one boat to Seaview in the morning and may run two (2) returning boats (different times) from Seaview to Bay Shore in the afternoon. The times have not been determined yet. You should refer to the Fire Island Ferry website at http://www.fireislandferries.com to determine the time(s) and check for any updates. We highly recommend you give yourself enough time to get to the boat in Bay Shore and in Seaview.

You must bring with you a recent tax bill or your LIPA electrical bill or F.I. telephone bill, as proof of residency in Seaview. Last weekend, Suffolk County Police were at each boat to check that (year round) residents had this documentation before allowing them board the boat.

You may to go over to check your house, clear out your refrigerator and freezer and / or take pictures of your home for insurance purposes.

1. Our Seaview staff will be meeting the boat to keep track of who comes over daily.

2. Will be handing out large heavy duty trash bags for garbage.

3. Will be able to answer any last minute questions or concerns.

You will be prohibited from:

A. Putting anything outside your home, other than regular garbage.

B. Discarding of any damaged furniture, carpeting, decking, etc. anywhere except on your property.

C. Performing any type of construction.

D. Leaving Seaview with anything other than personal items.

E. No power tools will be allowed on the ferry.

F. No wagons or shopping carts will be permitted on the ferry.

G. Anyone staying on the Island overnight for any reason.

Residents should plan to bring anything they want to eat or drink during their stay. There are no places to eat or buy food on the Island.

Residents should dress appropriately for the cold weather. Remember, there is no power on the Island.

Questions –

If you have questions, please email them to the Seaview Board of Directors at seaviewfeedback@gmail.com.

 

Hurricane Sandy – Update # 8
Friday November 9, 2012

Conference Call –
The Seaview Board of Directors held a conference call today to give our residents a current update on Seaview and our infrastructure. Over 270 residents participated in the conference call. If any resident missed the call, we were able to record it and can send it to you. Please email us at seaviewfeedback@gmail.com to request it.

Seaview Residents Returning -
Contrary to what you may have heard, there will be no ferry boats from Bay Shore for seasonal residents to anywhere on the Island until further notice. This includes the Brookhaven portions of Seaview and Ocean Bay Park.

Just now, the Town of Islip announced the limited reoccupation of Fire Island will be allowed for tomorrow (Nov. 10th) for year-round residents only.

The Story - http://www.townofislip-ny.gov/news/news/40-office-of-the-supervisor/2039-limited-reoccupation-plan-for-fire-island-announced

There is a ferry this weekend from Sayville to the Pines, Cherry Grove and Davis Park only. This ferry will only allow residents from those communities to board that boat. This will be strictly enforced. Please share this information with your friends and neighbors.

Meeting –
The Seaview Association is going to schedule a meeting for our residents in New York City in the next several weeks. We will update you on these arrangements.

Ocean Beach Meeting in NYC - Saturday, November 10th at 3 PM
The OBA, in partnership with Mayor Jimmy Mallott, has coordinated a meeting in NYC for all Ocean Beach residents to attend and hear from Mayor Mallott, OBFD Chief, OBPD Chief, representatives from town and county administrations, FEMA liaisons and representatives from the larger Insurance companies servicing Fire Island. The meeting will be held this Saturday, November 10th, at 3 PM at All Soul’s Church, 1157 Lexington Avenue, at 79th Street. The meeting will be held in the church itself, NOT the basement recreation room. Residents from Seaview are welcome, but reminded that this is an OB meeting and will concentrate on OB and the problems their residents are facing. SVA and FIA President Suzy Goldhirsch and SVA 1st VP Tom Ruskin will be attending this meeting.

Questions –
If you have questions, please email them to the Seaview Board of Directors at seaviewfeedback@gmail.com.

Tom Ruskin
1st Vice President
Seaview Association

Hurricane Sandy – Update # 7, Thursday November 8, 2012

REMINDER – The Seaview Board of Directors will be conducting a Resident’s Conference call
tomorrow (Friday November 9th) at 12 pm.

This call will be hosted by Suzy Goldhirsch (President), Tom Ruskin (1st VP) and Larry Mattiasen (Seaview Manager). The discussion will include:

• The damage to Seaview’s infrastructure
• What is happening on the Island now
• When will residents be able to get to see their homes
• The return to normalcy in Seaview

Questions will be accepted beforehand and during the conference call by residents emailing seaviewfeedback@gmail.com.

If you would like to participate, please call 213-226-0400 and enter access code 238645.

Please call your Seaview neighbors and friends who may wish to participate.

Nor’easter –
Yesterday’s storm caused additional flooding on the Island. No major damaged was reported in any community. We will have additional information in the conference call tomorrow.

Getting back to Seaview –
Based on the storm last night, there is no plan to allow our residents to return to Seaview this weekend. The Town of Islip has renewed the mandatory evacuation order for Fire Island until midnight Monday November 12th. Once County, State and Town officials determine it is safe for residents to be on the Island, our residents will be able to go to Seaview for the day only. Everyone will be required to be off the island by the end of the day.

Providers –
In the meantime, essential service providers (plumbers, electricians, propane gas) have been allowed to have daily access to Seaview. A limited number of the Seaview contractors are being granted permission to Island access. Please contact your respective service provider to get the latest update on what services they are able to provide.

Resident’s Electric and Water Service –
The SVA Board is recommending that our residents contact their essential service provider to request that they shut off the circuit breaker(s) in your home’s electrical box. We also would recommend that if they can drain the water from your home and winterize it, it would be a good time to do it.

Photographing Resident’s Homes
The Seaview Association has commenced photographing Seaview resident homes, if the resident sent an email and requested them. The first set of pictures was emailed out today. We will continue to photograph the Seaview houses and email them to our homeowners. If you would like to obtain pictures of your Seaview home, we will try to accommodate those requests, by photographing the front and rear of your home and any noticeable damage, if accessible! If you are interested, please email seaviewfeedback@gmail.com and please give us the following information: your name, your Seaview address, the best email address to forward them to you and your contact telephone number(s) off island.

Ocean Beach Meeting in NYC - Saturday, November 10th at 3 PM
The OBA, in partnership with Mayor Jimmy Mallott, has coordinated a meeting in NYC for all Ocean Beach residents to attend and hear from Mayor Mallott, OBFD Chief, OBPD Chief, representatives from town and county administrations, FEMA liaisons and representatives from the larger Insurance companies servicing Fire Island. The meeting will be held this Saturday, November 10th, at 3 PM at All Soul’s Church, 1157 Lexington Avenue, at 79th Street. The meeting will be held in the church itself, NOT the basement recreation room. Residents from Seaview are welcome, but reminded that this is an OB meeting and will concentrate on OB and the problems their residents are facing. SVA and FIA President Suzy Goldhirsch and SVA 1st VP Tom Ruskin will be attending this meeting.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Seaview Updates "Hurricane Sandy"     

Hurricane Sandy – Update # 6

FIA-FINS Storm Update #4—November 5, 2012.......(follows update#6 or click link)
Saturday November 3, 2012 at noon

It appears that Seaview suffered substantial damage, but was not as severely struck by the hurricane as most of the other communities on the Island.

We did not lose a single home to the high tides and large bay surges over the three day period. We did sustain a lot of damage to the walks, trees, poles, wires, etc.
Our boat basin suffered a lot of damage. The north bulkhead is alright, but the decking is in pretty bad shape (picture attached). It’s going to need a lot of repair.
The wagon park was raised up by about 2’ by the bay water. Some of the (resident’s) wagons that were left there have been destroyed (picture attached).

The bay beach seems to have been unscathed. The new baby pool appears to be alright, the new decking was not damaged, the playground equipment is okay and wasn’t moved, the bathroom area is fine and the pump room appears to be in working order (pictures attached). Miraculously, the steps leading into the bay were not damaged.
The tennis courts were damaged. There is silt and debris on the courts and the clay surface seems to have washed away. We will have to resurface all the courts and replace all the fencing surrounding the courts.
The ball field has several feet of dirt and sand left on it from a wash over in OBP, on the Seaview border. There is a lot of debris also left on the ball field.

The beach has very little dune left, but every beach front home is standing. The 2009 replenishment of our beach dunes may have saved a lot of our homes and community. Our community’s discipline and attention to our dunes, beach erosion, yearly planting of our dune grass, the beach fencing, residents keeping people off our dunes and bulkhead control and repairs are the reason that our beloved community held up as well as it did!
Our staff is in the process of re-installing beach fencing. The beach steps on almost every block have been destroyed and will have to be rebuilt.

The concrete walks on various blocks buckled and are going to have to be replaced. Gale Street (between Neptune and the ocean) was the worst damaged street in Seaview (see picture). We lost approximately 20 concrete blocks to the surging water and buckling. All these streets will need to be repaired before next summer. Any street that has been repaved with the pavers was not damaged. The pavers adjacent to the ferry terminal, on A,B,C, I, J and even the brand new pavers on G Street were not affected by the hurricane or flooding. If ever there were a test of whether the pavers are a more durable material than concrete slabs, Hurricane Sandy was it! This will certainly inform our decision going forward about how to repave our streets.
There was a lot of infrastructure damage from fallen trees, poles, wires, resident’s plants and from debris that came from resident’s homes. Larry Mattiasen (Seaview Manager) and the Seaview staff have spent the better part of the last two days cleaning up the streets and walkways. They are now passable for emergency apparatus or personnel, except where the streets no longer remain intact.

Little’s Market suffered a lot of water damage. All the machines, displays and freezers were destroyed.
We have received fuel yesterday to get the Seaview Water Company operational again.

Next steps:
We are trying to coordinate a plan to allow our resident’s access to Seaview for a day next weekend. This would allow you to get to your house, evaluate any storm damage and pack any important personal belongings. No one would be allowed to stay overnight.
In the meantime, as of Monday, there is a plan to allow essential service provider’s (plumbers, electricians, propane suppliers, etc.) transportation via the Fire island Ferries to the communities to evaluate Seaview homes for storm damage(s). No resident will be allowed on any of these boats.
LIPA is in the process of inspecting the Island electrical grids. A lot of damage was done by Hurricane Sandy and the salt water. This presents a very complex problem of how to repair the broken grids, repair all the wires and slowly return service to Fire Island. They do not know how long this is going to take and will be working on the system for the unforeseen future.

The Board has been reviewing the insurance policies that the Association has. Without knowing the cost of all necessary repairs that are going to be required, our best estimate is that we have adequate insurance coverage in place.

If any of the Seaview residents would like to obtain any of the pictures we have of their homes, we would be happy to try and accommodate those requests. We do not have all the Seaview residences, but have some. We are hesitant to blast them or post them where everyone can see your home on the web. If you are interested, please email seaviewfeedback@gmail.com and please give us the following information: your name, your Seaview address, the best email address to forward them to you and a contact telephone number(s) off island.

The Board will continue to update everyone as information becomes available. Like everyone else, the Seaview Board members are dealing with their losses and the dilemmas of their (winter) residences in the tri-state area. A lot of residents of Seaview are still without power in their winter homes, having troubles getting gas, keeping warm at night, getting internet service, etc. If any of our residents want to offer housing to someone who needs a place to go or sleep, please let us know, and we will attempt to put our two residents together.

FIA-FINS Storm Update #4—November 5, 2012
  
FIA and FINS have prepared the following storm recovery update. Information contained here has also been approved by the Town of Islip and the Fire Island Command Post (located at the Kismet Fire House, under the leadership of Dom Bertucci and Jay Lippert). ( WORD file also attached)
 
Once again, please be advised that the situation on the Island is evolving and changing on a day-to-day basis, and the information we provide is always subject to change. 
  
Recovery Update 
• The key objectives established for this phase of the storm recovery remain the same:
• Clearing access on walks and roads for emergency and repair vehicles.
• Re-establishing the water systems for fire protection.
• Assessing the damage to the electric grid in order to allow a safe and orderly return of electric power to the island as soon as possible.
• Assessing general infrastructure damage in each community.   
• The Fire Island Command Post reports that during the last two days, there has been dramatic progress toward achieving these goals. There are however, still many concerns:
• Dependable water supply for fire protection is not yet established Island-wide.
• Debris and downed trees along the access routes are hampering vehicle travel.
• LIPA personnel are energizing some of their power stations, but they will not energize the communities until all houses have been checked for fire hazard.
• Return of electric power is a high priority because the Island wells are currently running on generators. Water pressure for fire protection increases dramatically if we get power to the wells. 
• Five four-man teams of tree cutters have arrived (with their own cots and tents !) to help clear trees and brush. They have been dispatched to areas which are deemed most urgent. 
• All hands are concerned about the upcoming nor’easter which is currently projected to arrive on Wednesday. The teams on the Island will be watching and assessing possible wind and flood conditions.

 

 
Access to the Island:  
• Returning all Fire Islanders back to their safe and secured communities remains the number one priority of all those currently managing the recovery and restoration efforts on the Island. We are keenly aware that with each passing day, there is mounting frustration that residents are being prevented from getting out to check on the condition of their homes. 
• However, the mandatory evacuation orders issued by Suffolk County and Islip and Brookhaven Towns are still in effect. Town and County officials, as well as those emergency service personnel involved in the clean-up on the beach, advise that while conditions on the Island have improved dramatically over the past few days, they are still not safe enough for homeowners to return.  
• In addition to the hazardous health and safety conditions which still exist, there is concern over the potential impact of a strong nor’easter which is currently predicted to arrive on Wednesday 
• Access continues to be strictly controlled by County and State and local officials. 
• There are checkpoints on the bridge to ensure that only authorized individuals drive over to the Island.
• The Suffolk County Police Marine Bureau and the Bay Constables of both Towns have been directed to deter private boats from coming to the Island until further notice. 
• All three ferry companies will not run until they receive the OK to transport passengers. 
Tentative plans for increasing access:

As we have reported in previous updates, plans have been made to ‘stage’ access to the Island as follows: 
• Today (Monday), authorized essential service personnel were permitted to return to the beach for the day.  These individuals (carters, plumbers, electricians, and propane service providers) are contributing to the effort to haul away storm debris, and helping to conduct door-to-door surveys in each community to turn off power and water and secure propane tanks. As explained above, LIPA will not turn power on to the whole Island if there is a potential that salt-damaged wiring will cause serious fire hazard. 
• These essential service personnel will be returning to the Island tomorrow for the day (Tuesday).  If storm conditions do develop on Wednesday, daily access for essential service providers will be postponed until perhaps Friday. 
• Although plans had been discussed to allow authorized contractors to also have access to the Island tomorrow (Tuesday), a decision was made this afternoon to postpone the contractor return until after the storm. 
• Year-round residents will come back on the Island to collect personal possessions, medication, clothing and other important items when transportation by boat is available. Current conditions in marinas on the mainland and the Island are not yet optimal for safe and reliable passenger service.  The ferry companies are working to get their facilities up and running for safe transport by water as soon as possible.  
• Establishing a timetable to allow the earliest possible access for seasonal residents to return briefly to check their homes is a key priority, but is still under consideration.  One issue that will affect the timing of this decision is the impact of this week’s storm. 
• The time frame for site visits by insurance adjusters is also under review. 
Once again, we assure you that as soon as a definite decision has been made on the above access plans, the information will be circulated as soon as possible.
 
 
In closing, we once again express our appreciation, gratitude and respect for the professionalism, dedication, expertise and determination of our local first responders, Park Rangers, Suffolk County Police, and OEM officials from the State, County and Towns who are working so diligently out there to help restore the Island we all love.
 
 
Regards,
 
Suzy Goldhirsch, President, FIA
Chris Soller, Superintendent, FINS
 
 

We are attaching a copy of the FIA update from late last night covering Island wide hurricane related issues.
Tom Ruskin 1st Vice President Seaview Association
FIA-FINS Storm Update # 2 — October 31, 2012
FIA and FINS have prepared the following storm update for the FIA Board and the members of your respective communities. Once again, please be advised that the situation on the Island is evolving, and the information we provide is always subject to change.
Access to the Island: We would like to once again emphasize the importance of advising your residents that conditions on the Island are not safe for homeowners to return. There is no power throughout the entire island, and availability of water is also compromised in many areas. There are telephone and electric wires down, and transformers on the ground. Every street is covered in 2’ to 4' of sand and piles of debris. There is standing water that may be contaminated with sewage, and also very dangerous ‘sink holes’ filled with water. There are no emergency services if someone should get hurt out there, or need medical attention of any kind.
To review the access restrictions:
Strictly controlled by County and State officials. There are check points on the bridge limiting access to Field #5 for authorized individuals only (including those with expertise and skill sets required for clean- up: heavy machine operation, tree removal, LIPA personnel, Suffolk County Water, etc).
All three ferry companies will not run until (1) they get their terminals and equipment back in working order, and (2) they receive the OK from the County to transport passengers.
It is also not safe for private boats to come to the Island until further notice.
We understand that it is frustrating for residents to be prevented from coming out to check their property, but they would be endangering themselves and others by trying to get to their house at this time. So please encourage your homeowners to be patient and allow the assessment teams to make sure the conditions are safe enough for ‘re-population’ of the Island.
In the meantime, most communities have developed informal but very effective communication networks to get details of local conditions by way of pictures and verbal reports from community- spirited individuals who are currently out on the Island.
Please be assured that as soon as we have specific information about general public access, we will circulate it immediately!
Damage Assessment and Priorities:
Four main objectives were established as priorities today by the Incident Command team:
1. Clearing walks for vehicle access: It is absolutely essential that our communities have the benefit of fire and EMS protection as the recovery effort goes forward. To that end, efforts began today to remove sand from primary and secondary emergency vehicle routes. Fallen trees are also being cut away, debris cleared, and sink holes identified and filled.
2. Re-establishing the water systems is critically important for fire fighting. Our volunteers are working with Suffolk Co Water to check wells and pumps, make sure that intra-community connections are functioning, dig out fire hydrants, and maintain adequate fuels supplies for the generators that are running the well pumps.
3. Power supply: LIPA has begun the task of assessing the damage to the electric grid, a challenge that requires checking all utility poles, overhead and underground cables, and transformers. Preliminary indications are that the overhead wires fared somewhat better than the underground ones.
4. Health and Safety: The local Fire Departments have been charged with assessing general infrastructure damage in each community. Their job is to assure that conditions in their districts are safe enough to allow their residents to return.
IMPORTANT: Despite rumors that your residents make have heard, the Park Service (FINS) is NOT planning to condemn any damaged property, nor are there any plans to raze or remove any damaged structures.
Voting: Fire Island polling locations will obviously not be available on Election Day. Suffolk County Board of Elections advises that they will have information available tomorrow on when and where and how Fire Island voters will be able to cast their ballots. Please feel free to call them directly after 2:00pm at 631-852-4500. When they answer, press 1 then wait for the next message to begin and press 6 to be transferred to an operator.
Giving Thanks: On this, the second day after the storm, we join all Fire Islanders in offering our appreciation and gratitude for the dedication, expertise and commitment of our local first responders, Park Rangers, Suffolk County Police, and OEM officials from the State, County and Towns who helped evacuate many residents who stayed on the Island during the storm, and who now are leading the effort to help the Island get back up and running. The restoration process will be a long and challenging one, but the attitude prevalent on the Island today is summed up in Mario Possilico’s message to Saltaire residents: “This was a blow, but not a knock-out punch!”
Regards,
Suzy Goldhirsch, President, FIA Chris Soller, Superintendent, FINS

 

Previous Update.............Hurricane Sandy – Update # 5

Thursday November 1, 2012 at 10 am

This is meant as a brief update until later today. A lot of our members are still dealing with no power in their primary homes and are still without internet, phone or television.
Larry Mattiasen (Seaview Manager) was able to get out to Seaview yesterday afternoon, for only a few hours. He is planning to get back out there today and a more comprehensive Board update will follow. The update later will have any pictures that can be taken today.
• We did not lose any homes to the storm.
• The Seaview Water Company is alright.
• The Boat Basin suffered some damage, but all the bulkheads appear to be intact.
• The wagon park has buckled, but will be repairable.
• Some streets have been damaged and / or buckled, but is appears that any street that has been repaved with the pavers is intact, including the pavers by the ferry dock.
• Little’s Market suffered a lot of water damage.
• The ferry dock has some damage (mostly boards), but is repairable.
• The two bulkheads that lead into our ferry dock were damaged. The eastern most bulk head is more badly damaged.
• There is considerable debris on our streets that will need to be cleared.
Overall, Seaview was spared from the extensive damage that some of our neighboring communities suffered.
We are attaching a copy of the FIA update from late last night.
Tom Ruskin
1st Vice President
Seaview Association

FIA-FINS Storm Update # 2 — October 31, 2012
 
 FIA and FINS have prepared the following storm update for the FIA Board and the members of your respective communities. Once again, please be advised that the situation on the Island is evolving, and the information we provide is always subject to change. 
Access to the Island: We would like to once again emphasize the importance of advising your residents that conditions on the Island are not safe for homeowners to return. There is no power throughout the entire island, and availability of water is also compromised in many areas. There are telephone and electric wires down, and transformers on the ground.  Every street is covered in 2’ to 4' of sand and piles of debris.  There is standing water that may be contaminated with sewage, and also very dangerous ‘sink holes’ filled with water. There are no emergency services if someone should get hurt out there, or need medical attention of any kind.
To review the access restrictions:
• Strictly controlled by County and State officials.  There are check points on the bridge limiting access to Field #5 for authorized individuals only (including those with expertise and skill sets required for clean-up: heavy machine operation, tree removal, LIPA personnel, Suffolk County Water, etc).
• All three ferry companies will not run until (1) they get their terminals and equipment back in working order, and (2) they receive the OK from the County to transport passengers.
• It is also not safe for private boats to come to the Island until further notice.
We understand that it is frustrating for residents to be prevented from coming out to check their property, but they would be endangering themselves and others by trying to get to their house at this time. So please encourage your homeowners to be patient and allow the assessment teams to make sure the conditions are safe enough for ‘re-population’ of the Island. 
In the meantime, most communities have developed informal but very effective communication networks to get details of local conditions by way of pictures and verbal reports from community-spirited individuals who are currently out on the Island.
Please be assured that as soon as we have specific information about general public access, we will circulate it immediately!
 Damage Assessment and Priorities:
 Four main objectives were established as priorities today by the Incident Command team:
• Clearing walks for vehicle access: It is absolutely essential that our communities have the benefit of fire and EMS protection as the recovery effort goes forward.  To that end, efforts began today to remove sand from primary and secondary emergency vehicle routes. Fallen trees are also being cut away, debris cleared, and sink holes identified and filled.
 
• Re-establishing the water systems is critically important for fire fighting. Our volunteers are working with Suffolk Co Water to check wells and pumps, make sure that intra-community connections are functioning, dig out fire hydrants, and maintain adequate fuels supplies for the generators that are running the well pumps. 
• Power supply: LIPA has begun the task of assessing the damage to the electric grid, a challenge that requires checking all utility poles, overhead and underground cables, and transformers. Preliminary indications are that the overhead wires fared somewhat better than the underground ones. 
• Health and Safety: The local Fire Departments have been charged with assessing general infrastructure damage in each community.  Their job is to assure that conditions in their districts are safe enough to allow their residents to return. 
IMPORTANT: Despite rumors that your residents make have heard, the Park Service (FINS) is NOT planning to condemn any damaged property, nor are there any plans to raze or remove any damaged structures. 
Voting:  Fire Island polling locations will obviously not be available on Election Day. Suffolk County Board of Elections advises that they will have information available tomorrow on when and where and how Fire Island voters will be able to cast their ballots. Please feel free to call them directly after 2:00pm at 631-852-4500. When they answer, press 1 then wait for the next message to begin and press 6 to be transferred to an operator. 
Giving Thanks: On this, the second day after the storm, we join all Fire Islanders in offering our appreciation and gratitude for the dedication, expertise and commitment of our local first responders, Park Rangers, Suffolk County Police, and OEM officials from the State, County and Towns who helped evacuate many residents who stayed on the Island during the storm, and who now are leading the effort to help the Island get back up and running. The restoration process will be a long and challenging one, but the attitude prevalent on the Island today is summed up in Mario Possilico’s message to Saltaire residents:  “This was a blow, but not a knock-out punch!”
 Regards,
 Suzy Goldhirsch, President, FIA
Chris Soller, Superintendent, FINS

 

Previous updates / pics follow..............Hurricane Sandy – Update # 4
Tuesday October 30, 2012 at 5 pm

Initial assessments seem to indicate that Seaview did not lose any homes. Some homes may have suffered water damage.

Suffolk County Executive Steve Bellone held a press conference where he announced it could be a "long time" before residents are allowed to return home. The estimate of people who stayed on Fire Island during the storm is 120. About 12 houses have been lost so far with dozens more houses in jeopardy. Hundreds of additional houses have flood damage.

As County Executive Ballone stated, approximately 120 people voluntarily stayed on Fire Island, even though they were warned to leave. There are no reported injuries or loss of life on the island. The majority of the 120 people are still requesting to stay. The County and State authorities are arranging transportation off the island for anyone who so desires.

will never be the same." The estimate of people who stayed on Fire Island during the storm is nearly double the original estimate of 60 people. About 12 houses have been lost so far with dozens more in jeopardy. Hundreds of additional houses have flood damage.
Our dunes have been damaged. The beach steps on most or all streets of our streets have been washed away. There appears to have been a significant wash over east of M Street, between the last street in Seaview and OBP. This wash over caused about 2’ of sand and debris (from homes) to be left on our ball field.

The bay beach and tennis courts are still covered by water. It is also too early to see if they sustained any damage.

The boat basin is still underwater. The Ferry terminal appears to be okay, but will need further evaluation after the water recedes further. The wagon park buckled, but still seems to be there.

Little’s Market suffered extensive water damage from the historic high bay tides.

Some of our streets are reported to have buckled up towards the ocean.

The Fire Island Ferries will not be back in operation for some time. The Fire Island Ferry terminals in Bay Shore are still flooded. The State and County officials have forbidden any residents from returning to the island until further notice. This is being done for the health and safety of all residents. There is still no power or water in Seaview.

The Board of Directors will keep you updated with factual information as it becomes available. We are hoping that we will have a better assessment of our community tomorrow.

Tom Ruskin
1st Vice President
Seaview Association

Previous info:........Last night we received reports of heavy winds, high surf, washovers in some of the communities, and historically high levels of flooding from the ocean and the bay. All of this may have caused a lot of damage to our community and our neighbors in OBP, OB and Point of Woods. We know there was severe dune damage down to Robert Moses State Park.

Larry (our manager) is going to attempt to get back to Seaview today. It could be days before the evacuation order is lifted, allowing our residents to get back on the island.

When we get credible information, we will disseminate all the information that we learn.

(Downtown OB shot during H. Sandy)
 10/29/2012

The Seaview Board of Directors has been monitoring the conditions on Fire Island and specifically in Seaview.

As you already know, there was a mandatory evacuation order for all of Fire Island yesterday (Sunday) at 2 pm. The last Fire Island ferry left Seaview at 5:35 pm.

LIPA shut off power in Seaview at 4:40 pm yesterday.

This is the most recent compilation of numerous reports:

Conditions are serious across Fire Island. Bay flooding is a major problem for all communities, and ocean dune erosion is occurring in varying degrees along the beach, although it is severe in certain communities and locations.  The low pressure associated with the storm is historic, which leads to major concern of increased flooding and erosion during the next two high tide cycles.

Currently, the bay water is coming over our bulkheads and flooding on the Seaview streets

High tide is now over for this morning and will return this evening between 8 and midnight.

We have been told that the boat basin is overflowing and water is coming over the north bulkhead, especially as the wind gusts are increasing. On Crescent Street in Seaview there is 1½ feet of water running from the bay to Neptune.

Ocean Beach has a few feet of water running from the bay to Midway.

On Maple Avenue in Bay Shore the water has now risen several feet and at least two cinder blocks at the Fire Island Ferry ticket window. The ferry parking lots are underwater.

The National Guard has positioned their personnel at Field # 5 in case of an emergency or their necessary deployment.

We have been told that the boat basin is overflowing and water is coming over the north bulkhead, especially as the wind gusts are increasing. On Crescent Street in Seaview there is 1½ feet of water running from the bay to Neptune.

SeaviewBeach shot during Hurricane Sandy's approach

  The Community of Seaview on Fire Island

Seaview is a family-oriented seasonal community of approximately 360 homes, located in the central portion of Fire Island between the Village of Ocean Beach and the unincorporated Brookhaven Town hamlet of Ocean Bay Park. Of these homes, 290 are located in Islip Township, and the remainder are in the Brookhaven section of our community (The dividing line between the two Townships on Fire Island runs north to south along Ivy Walk in Seaview.)
Most residents use their homes as week-end and vacation havens during the months of April to November, and do not come to the Island during the cold winter season.  We do, however, have an increasing number of retirees who live on the Island for the entire summer, and there are also 4 or 5 Seaview families who reside on the Island year round.  Summer and year round residents alike are deeply attached to the Island, and third generation Seaview families are very common.  Many extended families also own more than one house, as children and grand-children grow up and come back to enjoy Seaview summers with their own families.

Most residents use their homes as week-end and vacation havens during the months of April to November, and do not come to the Island during the cold winter season.  We do, however, have an increasing number of retirees who live on the Island for the entire summer, and there are also 4 or 5 Seaview families who reside on the Island year round.  Summer and year round residents alike are deeply attached to the Island, and third generation Seaview families are very common.  Many extended families also own more than one house, as children and grand-children grow up and come back to enjoy Seaview summers with their own families.

The Seaview Association, an incorporated not-for-profit Homeowners Association (501 C-4), owns and/ or maintains the community’s sidewalks, bay and ocean beaches, a children’s playground and wading pool, six tennis courts, a ball field, a community house and doctor’s office, the Serber Memorial Park, and other common areas.  The Association also purchased the 60-slip Seaview boat basin in June 2006.

Contact / comment / feedback for the Board of Directors (click here)

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