One Year Later: Examining the Ongoing Recovery From Hurricane Sandy

The focus of the hearing was to examine the response to and recovery from Hurricane Sandy, with particular emphasis on the challenges faced by affected communities as they navigated the various federal agencies tasked with supporting the region following the storm. The hearing highlighted the critical gaps that exist in long-term recovery, including the barriers to rebuilding communities in a timely manner while incorporating innovative mitigation practices that reduce risk from future storms. The discussion focused on the lessons learned by areas hit hardest by Sandy and the gaps in federal policy that may need to be addressed to fully incorporate innovative disaster relief programs across the country. Witnesses were asked to elaborate on the progress being made to spend the $60 billion provided to Sandy relief and the effort underway to track this spending to support efficiency across the affected region. Implementation of the Sandy Recovery Improvement Act and the effectiveness of these new tools for future extreme weather events was also examined.