When Hurricane Sandy made landfall on Monday, Hudson River Park was as prepared as possible for this record breaking storm -- the result of close coordination with the City and State, as well as the dedication of the crews and Park staff, who worked nonstop for 72 hours to safely close the Park and move valuable equipment.

As Sandy enveloped the Park, flood waters surged into Park buildings and submerged several piers. It crossed West Street, and then reversed, pulling even more debris back into the Park. As a result of this inundation, our team of engineers, horticulturalists, and operations specialists is closely inspecting every site in the Park to survey conditions and the extent of damage.

For now, the entire Park remains closed while we document conditions and ensure park users' safety. The Park's new infrastructure was built to withstand the elements and held up well, but some pier finishes and decks -- such as Pier 25, the Pier 40 fields, and Piers 46, 54 and 84 -- experienced extensive damage. Trees stood their ground, but plant beds lost almost all of their mulch and much of their top soil.

In the coming days, we expect to be able to open many Park areas and will keep updating our website and social media pages as we do so. Thankfully, all the damage is repairable with the help of people like you.

Park staff members are working hard to ready the park for re-opening. If you'd like to join them and get your hands dirty, volunteer opportunities are available for this Friday, November 2nd and Saturday, November 10th. Please consider supporting the park by becoming a member and give what you can.

We hope you and your family are safe and sound, and we look forward to welcoming you back to the Park very soon.

Sincerely,

                                             

Madelyn Wils, President & CEO                      A. J. Pietrantone, Executive Director