Governor Andrew Cuomo launched an unprecedented effort by New York state to respond to the lake flooding emergency and prevent future disasters while in Rochester on Monday.

The Lake Ontario Resiliency and Economic Development Initiative (REDI) calls for communities to develop plans to rebuild lake fronts and keep them flood safe. The plans are more likely to be supported by the state if they also have economic development benefits.

The four-point plan starts with preventing immediate disaster due to arrive with bad weather and record lake levels this week. It also includes pressuring the International Joint Commission to change Plan 2014.

The governor would not rule out suing the commission if no change came.

"We need a real plan of action, literally in a matter of months, that can actually be deployed and made a reality in one to three years," Cuomo said. 

Infrastructure and development plans for REDI are due by Labor Day. 

"People want to see a resilient shoreline the economy needs it," NYS Department of Environmental Conservation Commissioner Basil Seggos added. "This is a sprint to the finish, this is a sprint to Labor Day, but the process will continue obviously much beyond that."

REDI is a major investment by the state.

This weekend, Cuomo demanded the international body that regulates lake levels reimburse New York state for costs associated with flood recovery, and make funds available for additional protective measures.

In a letter to the IJC, Cuomo said the state committed more than $100 million to rebuilding communities that were devastated by flooding in 2017.