Roosevelt Island's Coler Hospital Getting $181 Million For Hurricane Sandy Repairs And Future Protection From Storms As Part Of $1.6 Billion Commitment From FEMA For NYC Hospitals

 Image Of Hurricane Sandy Coler Flooding From The River In The Basement Video

As reported November 2, 2012:

Roosevelt Island's Coler Hospital was flooded by Hurricane Sandy and without power causing the evacuation

Image of Patients Evacuated From Coler Hospital  By Judy Berdy

of over a hundred fragile patients to Goldwater Hospital....

This excerpt from NYC Health & Hospitals Corp (HHC) video The River In The Basement shows what it was like at Roosevelt Island's Coler Hospital during the 2012 Hurricane Sandy.



Today, NYC Mayor Bill deBlasio and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) announced:

Today Mayor @BilldeBlasio announced a commitment from @FEMA of at least $1.6 billion to update our city’s hospitals. pic.twitter.com/eMeo5EezOb
— NYC Mayor's Office (@NYCMayorsOffice) November 6, 2014

including $181 million for Roosevelt Island's Coler Hospital repairs and future protection. According to this Press Release from Roosevelt Island's Congresswoman Carolyn Maloney's office:

Congresswoman Carolyn B. Maloney today lauded an announcement that the City has secured a commitment of $181 million in funds from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to repair and protect Coler Specialty Hospital on Roosevelt Island, which was damaged during Hurricane Sandy. The funds will be used for the replacement of a generator that was destroyed, reimbursement for repairs already completed to the electrical system, and a flood wall that will protect critical parts of the campus to the 500-year flood level.

“These federal funds will help ensure that Coler Specialty Hospital can continue operating without interruption when the next big storm hits,” said Maloney. “The entire New York Congressional Delegation came together to fight for these funds, and wisely sought resources not just for repairs, but also for mitigation. Coler Specialty Hospital is an important facility and it sustained substantial damage and had to be evacuated during Hurricane Sandy. We are taking the necessary steps to be sure that doesn’t happen again.”

The funds were included in a $1.6 billion package to fund resiliency and mitigation projects that will protect four New York City Health and Hospitals Corporation facilities: Coney Island Hospital in Brooklyn, Bellevue Hospital Center in Manhattan, Metropolitan Hospital Center in Manhattan, and Coler Specialty Hospital on Roosevelt Island.

Roosevelt Island's NYC Council Member Ben Kallos adds:

Rebuilding and resiliency for HHC hospitals are essential investments for a City prepared to take on the next Sandy. Senator Schumer and Mayor de Blasio merit recognition for their leadership in securing FEMA federal funding and investing it in our public hospitals.

Here's excerpt from Mayor deBlasio's Press Release announcing the FEMA/HHC funding.

Today, Mayor Bill de Blasio and U.S. Senator Charles Schumer announced that the City has secured a commitment of at least $1.6 billion in funds from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to repair and protect the City’s public hospitals damaged during Hurricane Sandy.

The allocation—the second largest FEMA award ever and the largest award under FEMA’s 428 program—will advance the City’s comprehensive, five-borough resiliency plan and fund improvements at four New York City Health and Hospitals Corporation (HHC) facilities: Coney Island Hospital in Brooklyn, Bellevue Hospital Center in Manhattan, Metropolitan Hospital Center in Manhattan, and Coler Specialty Hospital on Roosevelt Island.

The at least $1.6 billion package will include reimbursement for repairs to HHC facilities for damage incurred during Hurricane Sandy, and funds for mitigation projects that will protect the hospitals from the impact of future extreme weather. It is in addition to the $142 million HHC already received from FEMA for emergency stabilization measures, partial repairs, and temporary flood barriers.

“Few services are as critical as our hospitals during extreme weather. This unprecedented investment will make four key public hospitals much more resilient next time they need to be,” said Mayor Bill de Blasio. “Thanks to FEMA’s $1.6 billion commitment, we’re taking a major step forward in advancing our comprehensive resiliency plan and ensuring that doctors, nurses, and health care workers will be able to do what they do best—serve their patients. We’re grateful for Senator Schumer’s continued partnership in securing these—and so many other—funds as we build a stronger and more resilient New York City.”

“This historic, over $1.6 billion federal investment will provide a massive shot of adrenaline for New York City’s public hospitals, and their physical and financial recovery from Superstorm Sandy,” said Senator Charles Schumer. “The largest of its kind, this FEMA Public Assistance award will help ensure that our public hospitals have the necessary safeguards in place to operate continuously during a storm, mitigate damage and power loss, and, if evacuation is necessary, quickly return to normalcy. Smart recovery and resiliency work at New York’s great public hospitals, which serve millions each day, is exactly what we had in mind when crafting the Sandy relief bill, and I’m thrilled to have helped deliver this federal funding.”

“Superstorm Sandy brought tremendous damage down on New York City’s hospitals—but today, we’re building them back better and stronger than ever before,” Governor Andrew Cuomo said. “By getting these four hospitals the resources they need to recover and become more resilient, we’re laying the groundwork for a safer and more prepared health network in the future. This is another step forward in our work to build a stronger New York State, and I want to thank all of our federal, local and community partners for helping to make this progress a reality.”

“New York City’s public hospitals serve a very vulnerable patient population and must not be allowed to remain susceptible to future storms,” said HHC President Dr. Ram Raju. “The local communities look to HHC hospitals for more than just health care, and the cost of shutting them down is human suffering. HHC hospitals returned to service quickly after Sandy thanks to the extraordinary efforts of their dedicated staffs, but they remain at risk. I’d like to thank FEMA for an aid package that recognizes the need for public hospital resiliency. And, of course, Mayor de Blasio and Senator Charles Schumer, for their efforts in helping the City’s public hospital system.”...

Click here for the full Press Release from the Mayor's office and here for more on what it was like at Roosevelt Island's Coler Hospital during Hurricane Sandy.

Remarkable Video Of River In The Basement Tells Story Of Hurricane Sandy's Flooding Of NYC Public Hospitals Including Roosevelt Island's Coler Hospital

Image of Patients Evacuated From Coler Hospital By Judy Berdy

The NYC Health & Hospitals Corp (HHC) provides a close up view of Hurricane Sandy's flooding of its facilities in this video titled The River In The Basement.

Despite the unprecedented scope of Superstorm Sandy, HHC staff members stayed on the job before, during, and after the storm to care for New Yorkers in need.

Here's an excerpt from the video showing how Roosevelt Island's Coler Hospital

 Image Of Hurricane Sandy Coler Flooding From The River In The Basement Video

was damaged by Hurricane Sandy's East River flooding.



Watch the entire video here.



More on Hurricane Sandy Coler Hospital conditions and its partial evacuation at previous post.

New York City Updates Hurricane Evacuation Zones - Roosevelt island Divided In Two Separate Zones For Octagon Building/Coler Hospital And Rest Of Island

As reported following Hurricane Sandy last October:

... perhaps all of Roosevelt Island should not be in the Category B evacuation zone but that portions of Roosevelt island, including the area around the Octagon and Coler Hospital should be Category A....

The new NYC Hurricane Evacuation maps place Roosevelt Island in separate zones.

NEW: We updated our evacuation maps based on post-Sandy data. Know your zone: http://t.co/vCoW3HkwTA
— NYC Mayor's Office (@NYCMayorsOffice) June 18, 2013

All of Roosevelt Island had previously been in the same evacuation zone but the updated NYC hurricane evacuation plan has Roosevelt Island in two separate zones. Coler Hospital and the Octagon Building are in Zone 2 and the rest of Roosevelt Island is in Zone 3.

Click here for the NYC Hurricane Evacuation Map.

According to these excerpts of Press Release from Mayor Bloomberg's office:

Deputy Mayor for Operations Cas Holloway and Office of Emergency Management Commissioner Joseph F. Bruno today announced final updates to the City's hurricane evacuation zones. The new Zones, 1 through 6, which will replace Zones A, B and C, now include an additional 600,000 New Yorkers not included within the boundaries of the former zones. The new zone system - first announced in the City's Hurricane Sandy After-Action report last month - was developed using the latest Sea, Lake, and Overland Surges from Hurricane storm surge inundation maps generated by the National Weather Service and processed by United States Army Corps of Engineers. The zones are based on coastal flood risk resulting from storm surge - the "dome" of ocean water propelled by the winds and low barometric pressure of a hurricane; the geography of the city's low-lying neighborhoods; and the accessibility of these neighborhoods by bridge and roads....

... The new Zones 1 through 6 include an additional 600,000 New Yorkers not included within the boundaries of the former zones. The increased number of zones will provide the City with more flexibility in targeting areas to evacuate in advance of a predicted storm. The chart below provides the cumulative estimated population of each new zone. The new hurricane evacuation zones are not directly correlated to the previous A, B, and C zones, and a numbering system was selected for the 2013 evacuation zones instead of the previously used lettering system to avoid confusion.

2013 Hurricane Evacuation Zone Population

Estimated population (2010 Census)

Zone 1 370,000

Zone 1+2 620,000

Zone 1+2+3 1,020,000

Zone 1+2+3+4 1,470,000

Zone 1+2+3+4+5 2,230,000

Zone 1+2+3+4+5+6 2,990,000...

... In the City's history, a mandatory evacuation has been issued only twice, during Hurricane Irene in 2011 and Hurricane Sandy in October 2012.

New evacuation zones now include:

• The residences of 37 percent of New Yorkers;
• An additional 600,000 New Yorkers;
• An additional 26 New York City Housing Authority developments, now totaling 175;
• Four additional hospitals, bringing the total from 21 to 25; and
• Nine additional nursing homes, bringing the total from 60 to 69.

Roosevelt Island Lighthouse Park Underwater from Hurricane Sandy via Beauty & A Beat Tweet

More on Roosevelt Island Hurricane Sandy damage from previous post.

Hurricane Sandy Aftermath Good News - Power Restored At Roosevelt Island's Coler Hospital Reports Assembly Member Micah Kellner

Image of Patients Evacuated From Coler Hospital  By Judy Berdy

Finally, some good news at Roosevelt Island's Coler Hospital.

Assembly Member Micah Kellner tweets:

Power has been restored to Coler Hospital on Roosevelt Island.
— Micah Kellner (@MicahKellner) November 4, 2012

More on the Hurricane Sandy problems at Coler Hospital from previous posts.

Also, the NY Post reports on the problems at Coler following Hurricane Sandy:

... The Coler-Goldwater hospital became a shadowy house of horrors for hundreds of disabled and elderly patients “left to rot,” an insider told The Post — and a generator from the New York City Marathon sat unused at the hospital yesterday.

“The patients are freezing. There’s still no heat,” said a tipster at the home.

A Post reporter who visited Thursday night found one of two buildings lit and the other dark, with some small generators providing meager light in the halls.

One large generator was running yesterday, but a second, 200-kilowatt power source — which came from the marathon’s Central Park finish line and was brought in after The Post inquired about the miserable conditions — was not even turned on....

NY Crains reported yesterday (November 3):

... For four days, Coler Nursing Facility patients had been marooned in unlit rooms, fighting the cold with extra blankets and socks.

Power was partially restored to the facility on Friday evening, according to a Bloomberg administration spokeswoman, and this afternoon it has been fully restored, she said. Space heaters are being used, and heat and hot water is also set to be restored this afternoon as temperatures are expected to drop to the 30′s tonight. Councilwoman Jessica Lappin, D-Manhattan, who represents the area, said she had been “very concerned about the patients” but that residents had “generally expressed” a desire to stay....

Roosevelt Island Coler Hospital Without Power, Heat Or Hot Food Since Hurricane Sandy Last Monday Night

Image of Ambulances Arrive To Evacuate Coler Patients Last Wednesday from Judy Berdy

Reported earlier this week that Roosevelt Island's Coler Hospital was flooded by Hurricane Sandy and without power causing the evacuation

Image of Patients Evacuated From Coler Hospital  By Judy Berdy

of over a hundred fragile patients to Goldwater Hospital.

Earlier this evening, I received these photos taken at 4 PM today from Coler Hospital.

Nurse with back to camera is in children’s unit

Dim hallway in adult patient unit

Stairwell

Outside the hospital: pumping out the water and the non-functioning generator

The place has not had power, heat or hot food since the storm Monday night.

The power is slowly coming on in one building in Coler with a generator. Tonight it will be 39 degrees on Roosevelt Island and there is still no heat or hot water.

A Roosevelt Island resident observes in this tweet:

Fri night lights!I see Coler hosp has partial power! Meanwhile, I'm happy 2 get 2 new bags of ice!! @rooseveltisland
— Denise Shull, MA (@DeniseKShull) November 2, 2012

New York City Hurricane Sandy Flooding Causes Evacuation Of Fragile Patients At Roosevelt Island Coler Hospital - An Eyewitness Report

Image Of Ambulances Arriving To Evacuate Roosevelt Island Coler Hospital Patients From Judy Berdy

Reported last night on the evacuation of some patients at Roosevelt Island's Coler Hospital

  Image of Coler Goldwater Hospital From NY Hospital Flowers

to Goldwater Hospital due to lack of electricity at Coler caused by Hurricane Sandy flooding. Assembly Member Micah Kellner confirmed last night that some patients were being evacuated from Coler stating:

the most vulnerable being moved to Goldwater.  Others are resting in place. 

Roosevelt Island Historical Society President Judy Berdy was assisting during the evacuation. Ms Berdy shares this report and photos of what happened.

I was on my way to watch the first tram leave the Island on Tuesday at 4 p.m. A call came, would I like to help out the moving of patients from Coler to Goldwater Hospitals? I have been a Community Board member at Coler for years and I said sure. Any additional pair of hands would help.

I was at Goldwater Hospital from 5 p.m. to 1 a.m. There are about 100 patients from Coler that had to be transferred to Goldwater. Coler has been without electricity since the storm and the critical patients were moved tonight and through the night to the Goldwater campus.

It was a long process of getting the residents ready to be moved, getting them to ambulances a and having space in Goldwater ready to receive them. They had to be moved down the darkened staircases some in wheelchairs, many on stretchers. Luckily Coler is only 5 stories, but even a few flights of steps can be harrowing.

Image From Judy Berdy

As with the NYU evacuation it sounds simple, but moving medically fragile patients whether infants or elderly is a treacherous operations.

 Image From Judy Berdy

When the ambulances arrived at Goldwater

Image From Judy Berdy

we saw that they were manned with mutual aid teams from all over the country some were from Indiana, Illinois and South Carolina.

Image From Judy Berdy

They had left their states and were sent to Fort Dix to be deployed. Our ten ambulances had wonderful and dedicated EMT's and Paramedics.

 Image From Judy Berdy

The executive and departmental staffs were on had to check in each patient and get them to a warm bed upstairs.

We handed out blankets and swiftly they moved the patients to the units. Some were stunned to suddenly be moved and arrive at a strange place in the middle of the night.

The operation will go on till dawn with dedicated staff on hand to help everyone arriving.

The northern end of the island where Coler and Octagon are located were hit much worse and the entire basement of Coler had 6 feet of water in it.The staff at both campuses are amazing. They had been there for days. Some came in the ambulances to take care of their patients.

The seawalls had been beached, One car in the Coler east side parking lot ended up against the hospital wall, driven there by the wave surge.

Without new seawalls and reinforced embankments no new construction should be permitted. It may be a once in a century event, but this is the time to demand a safer island. Walk around the campuses and you can see the high water marks along with the damage it caused.

It is so sad to see the future of Goldwater. She suffered minimal damage and flooding during the hurricane. It is a tough old building but can withstand anything, but the bulldozer. Where will our fragile people go when her doors close Some have had plans made and many still await to learn their future.

Ms. Berdy reference to new construction and the bulldozer is to the Cornell NYC Tech project that will be built on the site of Goldwater Hospital after it is demolished although the closing of Goldwater Hospital had been planned before Cornell NYC Tech was contemplated.

Portions Of Roosevelt Island Coler Hospital Without Power - Most Vulnerable Patients Evacuated To Nearby Goldwater Hospital

 Image of Coler Goldwater Hospital From NY Hospital Flowers

Earlier this afternoon reader Mike G asked:

Anyone know what's going on at the north end? A train of ambulances (10 maybe?) just went by 40 RR heading north...

Then I saw ths tweet:

@patkiernan Coler Hospital in Roosevelt Island being evacuated right now
— Brian Barenio (@heymrbrian) October 30, 2012

and received this tip from a reliable source:

Mike G question about ambulances and ambulettes headed north to Coler might be to transport some patients to Goldwater.

Coler having power probs
Goldwater has power and the room.
National guard moving 90+ patients.

16 ambulances making several trips for about 90 patients.

 I sent the following inquiry to the Roosevelt Island Operating Corp (RIOC):

 I am told that Coler Hospital is evacuating patients. Is that true.

Do you have any additional info on the matter

Thank you

Received no response from RIOC.

Sent the same inquiry to Assembly Member Micah Kellner. Mr. Kellner replied:

the most vunerable being moved to Goldwater.  Others are resting in place. 

Thank you Mr. Kellner for the answer.

A Goldwater patient adds:

A big thank you, for goldwater staff. The have been heroic working 48 hours

Some recent tweets concerning Coler Hospital:

Coler Hospital no power for over 24 hours #Coler #Roosevelt Island
— Janelle Hartman (@janhart26) October 31, 2012

Please get a generator for Coler-Goldwater hospital on Roosevelt Island....they had no power today @nycmayorsoffice
— Astoria Church (@AstoriaChurch) October 31, 2012

Coler Goldwater Hospital on Roosevelt Island was flooded, and has no power since last night. Where is the rescue evacuation? Forgotten?
— Victoria (@sweetdog2) October 30, 2012

Here's Mayor Bloomberg's Press Conference this afternoon on NYC's recovery from Hurricane Sandy. No mention of the problems at Roosevelt Island's Coler Hospital from Mayor Bloomberg.