WTC site sustains between 15 and 30 feet of flooding

The basement floors of the World Trade Center site sustained between 15 and 30 feet of flooding, Crain’s reported. Worsening things is the ongoing power outage in Lower Manhattan, which is obstructing the pumping out of saltwater from the site. It could take more than a week to get the water out, according to Crain’s.

Saltwater causes more damage to electrical systems than fresh water does.

Of primary concern is the underground equipment that generates ventilation for portions of the site, including the 9/11 memorial and retail space.

Fully assessing the impact of the flooding is difficult until all the water can be pumped out. But preliminary assessments showed that the site, overall, did not sustain severe damage. As previously reported, the assessment of the site is being treated as a high priority.

There is not yet an estimate of what has been damaged, or how much it will cost to fix or replace. [Crain’s] — Zachary Kussin