A powerful storm moved through the East Coast yesterday, and New York was no exception, with the National Weather Service issuing a coastal flood advisory across the city. While this most recent storm was not as severe as that of September, heavy rainfall and high winds caused power outages for thousands of ConEd customers.
And our beloved Greenpoint and Williamsburg finds itself particularly poised for flood damage. “North Brooklyn’s high water table and impermeable industrial landscape—compounded by NYC’s antiquated sewer system—make us incredibly vulnerable to increasingly frequent flood events,” said North Brooklyn Parks Alliance on Instagram (they’re also asking for locals who live in the Northside to respond to a BID Needs Assessment, which you can do here.)
And today, December 19, Congresswoman Nydia Velázquez will host a webinar for constituents who were affected by flooding in September. If your home was damaged, you might be able to apply for disaster loan assistance. The webinar starts at 2 p.m.
It’s an issue that hits close to home for another local elected official. Assembly Member Emily Gallagher recently introduced the Water Bill Fairness Act into the state legislature, which would “allow NYC and other municipalities to raise hundreds of millions of dollars for sewer infrastructure.” The act needs to get the green light from City Hall before the state legislature can vote on it.
Here’s hoping some of this steps can help against the floods sure to come as climate change worsens!