Taking Stock, Taking Action
In late October, Hurricane Sandy surged up the East Coast, devastating coastal communities. NFWF launched the Hurricane Sandy Wildlife Response Fund to conduct rapid assessments of the ecological impacts of the storm and to support urgent remedial actions.
The storm was catastrophic in the mid-Atlantic, with loss of life, destruction of property and infrastructure, and widespread ecological damage. In addition to the direct loss of beach and wetlands, large volumes of raw sewage, sediment, contaminants and debris flooded into rivers and estuaries. Combined, these impacts will degrade critical coastal habitats and have a direct impact on many fish and wildlife species.
The Hurricane Sandy Wildlife Response Fund will evaluate the consequences of the storm and determine the most effective short- and long-term actions to protect the species and habitats at risk.
Working in consultation with our conservation partners at the Departments of the Interior and Agriculture, U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service and NOAA, our numerous grantees, and other experts, NFWF will concentrate on rapid assessments of coastal habitats stretching from Delaware Bay to Long Island Sound. Other areas along the Atlantic coast within the path of the hurricane also will be examined for impacts.
Species along the affected coast, including shorebirds, waterbirds, fish and shellfish, will be a key focus. Through these assessments, NFWF will work with partners to prepare a conservation investment strategy that will ensure the long-term survival of the species and their habitats that have been most affected by the storm.
Learn about the species and habitats impacted by Hurricane Sandy.