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One of the worst hurricanes to hit the East coast, Hurricane Sandy was estimated to have caused $65 billion in damages and was responsible for the deaths of 182 people in the United States. A little over two years later, the important role wetlands play in buffering storm surge and absorbing storm water is being rediscovered by municipalities in the Mid Atlantic and New England. There have been many proposals, some great, many less so, on building resilient shorelines to better withstand stronger, more frequent hurricanes and tropical storms due to global warming.
The Hurricane Sandy Disaster Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act of 2013, set aside $360 million to restore coastal marshes, restore damaged beaches and dunes and improve aquatic connectivity in streams and rivers in the Northeast. Of the $360 million, a little more than $161 million has been awarded for a total of 31 projects. These projects include 14 Coastal Marsh Restoration proposals and 9 dam removals and culvert replacements, totalling $10,448,150.

The 4 projects in Connecticut are as follows:
Pond Lily Dam Removal, West River, New Haven, CT - $661,500
Hyde Pond Dam Removal, Whitford Brook, Groton, CT - $551,250
Flock Process Dam Removal, Norwalk River, Norwalk, CT -$970,000
Norton Mill Dam Removal, Colchester, CT - $727,650

As you can see there hasn’t been any coastal marsh restoration projects approved which is sorely needed in many parts of Connecticut, but dam removal does allow natural sediment movement downstream, important for replenishing the soils in tidal marshes.

Sources and Additional Information:
Hurricane Sandy Photos - before and After
Funded Sandy Resiliency Project Summaries
Hurricane Sandy Coastal Resiliency Competitive Grant Program