Crain's reports that Hurricane Sandy's storm surge flooded the basement levels of the World Trade Center site with 15 to 30 feet of water. Early assessments say that the site was not severely damaged, but electrical equipment could be seriously affected by the saltwater. The ventilation system, which will control air in the underground PATH station, retail spaces, and transit corridors, was not significantly damaged, and the same goes for Four World Trade Center.
However, like with the subway system, it will be impossible to fully assess the damage until the water is pumped out of the site, which could take up to a week. Some 70-feet below the ground, pools had accumulated in the WTC's underground infrastructure. Because the site's retaining wall, meant to keep out the Hudson River, still has a few openings for construction vehicles, it is acting like a basin holding in the flood waters. There is currently no estimated timetable for fixing any damage or how much it will cost.
· World Trade Center Flooded With 20 Feet of Water [Crain's]
· World Trade Center coverage [Curbed]
· Hurricane Sandy coverage [Curbed]
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