Living Breakwaters, Bluebelt program aim to prevent flooding in Staten Island

ByKemberly Richardson WABC logo

Friday, August 1, 2025

How the area prepares for flooding and extreme weather.

STATEN ISLAND (WABC) -- Even now more than a decade after Superstorm Sandy caused catastrophic flooding in Staten Island, the imprint of the most storm can still be seen everywhere.

Lessons were learned to hopefully prepare folks for the next severe weather system.

"It was a nightmare, really," a resident said.

In the Tottenville section, erosion rates average more than three feet per year.

A series of rock structures known as the Living Breakwaters are hard to miss.

Construction began in 2021 and wrapped up last fall.

The goal of the project is two-fold: minimize the risk of erosion, the structures sit where a wide shelf once did, and create a rich habitat for local marine life.

Borough President Vito Fossella told Eyewitness News when it comes to finding solutions to protect Staten Island, authorities must cast a worldwide net.

"The Netherlands, they've been very creative, thinking out of the box, cause very often it's their survival at stake," Fossella said.

The Bluebelt program in Marine Park has been a tremendous success.

"Now when it rains, it finds its way into the equivalent of big bathtubs and it stores the water and ultimately releases the water in a much more managed way," Fossella said.