NYU Langone Medical Center will receive $1.13 billion as a form of financial support for the damages caused to several buildings, study spaces and laboratories at the institution by Superstorm Sandy. The grant, which was announced on July 29, is the second largest grant ever given out by the Federal Emergency Management Agency.
Arielle H. Bayer, a fourth-year medical student at the NYU School of Medicine recalled that during Sandy, school was closed for a week and students and patients were being evacuated from the building.
“The hurricane affected us tremendously in many ways, our school was physically in the basement [of Langone Hospital], so our classrooms and the student study space and our library as well were flooded, so it devastated our school,” Bayer said.
Bayer also said that she hopes the money can help get ongoing research back on track.
“I think research and the laboratories that were affected by the storm are a priority for us, because NYU is such a strong leader in research and innovation,” Bayer said.
New York Senator Charles Schumer expressed hope that the monetary aid will help NYU Langone recover and keep serving its mission.
“NYU Hospital is a critical nonprofit institution that sustained massive damage in Superstorm Sandy, and this award will enable them to fully recover and provide world-class healthcare to countless New Yorkers,” Schumer said in a statement.
According to the report Schumer’s office published, 90 percent of the grant will be covered by the federal government, from which $540 million will be spent on repairs for damaged Langone buildings and $589 million will be used as part of the hazard mitigation project, which aims to minimize the damage caused by future storms.
Schumer recognizes that the grant given is substantial, but said he believes it is necessary.
“I am pleased to see this desperately needed reimbursement to repair and rebuild in a resilient way,” Schumer said in the same statement.
Dean and CEO of NYU Langone Robert Grossman expressed his deep gratitude for the support offered to the institution.
“We are grateful to U.S. Senator Chuck Schumer for his unwavering support in achieving this extraordinary federal grant from FEMA, and are also appreciative of Governor Andrew Cuomo’s leadership throughout our recovery from Superstorm Sandy,” Grossman said in a statement.
While the recovery process is still ongoing, Bayer said she was hopeful that NYU Langone and the NYU School of Medicine would be back in the condition it was before the storm soon.
“I think being able to rebuild what was lost is really important in order to continue the momentum that we had,” Bayer said. “I hope the money goes toward that, as well as everything that was lost.”
Marita Vlachou is a deputy news editor. Email her at [email protected].