Ida Programs

Resiliency Planning

Program Partners

• NYC Department of City Planning (DCP)
• NYC Department of Housing Preservation and Development (HPD)
• Mayor’s Office of Operations (MOO)
• Mayor’s Office of Climate and Environmental Justice (MOCEJ)
• New York City Emergency Management (NYCEM)

Program Descriptions

3DUnderground Platform

The Office of Operations will use CDBG-DR funds to create a highly secure, 3D data sharing platform for the underground built and natural environment. The study will involve standardizing and centralizing infrastructure asset data and digitizing soil boring records. Upon completion of the project, the City would have critical data necessary to:

• Conduct proactive analysis of critical infrastructure systems and stormwater modeling to predict where a flooding event is most likely to damage critical infrastructure;
• Improve its reactive emergency response capacities; and
• Better manage the City’s assets and improve capital project scoping and delivery by knowing in advance where projects have the potential to disrupt underground utilities.

All-Hazards Emergency Sheltering

One of the main lessons learned from PTC Ida is that, in the lead up to extreme storms, the City must be able to quickly implement evacuation strategies, with a particular focus on vulnerable populations such as those residing in basement apartments and people with limited proficiency in English. To address this need, NYCEM will conduct an evacuation modeling study to improve the City's ability to plan for and carry out emergency operations for vulnerable New Yorkers. This effort would include an evaluation of existing planning assumptions, current emergency plans, and lessons learned from relevant events. Deliverables will focus on a behavioral analysis of populations with access and functional needs, including those living in basement apartments, and modes of evacuation during flood events. Modeling different scenarios will inform modifications to planning assumptions for the City’s operational emergency plans. 

Basement Apartment Resiliency Study

The Basement Apartment Flood Mitigation Study will be an 18- to 24-month project to ensure future mitigation and conversion investments related to basement apartments are data-driven and efficient based on current climate risks. The study will, among other tasks, examine the factors that contribute to subterranean flooding in 1-4 family homes (e.g., extreme rainfall, topography, impermeable surfaces, insufficient drainage networks).

CDBG-DR funds will be used to conduct surveys, collect data, and analyze stormwater flood maps to identify areas suitable for a future basement legalization program. Additionally, the initiative will develop recommendations and, where applicable, provide preliminary designs for a range of flood hazard mitigation solutions that include, for example, short- and long-term design solutions for homes and safety scope items to mitigate risk to life and safety.

Importantly, this study will also aim to provide cost estimates for recommended flood hazard mitigation methods and identify potential resources for homeowners to help them finance resiliency measures including both public and private incentives, grants, or loan products.

Climate Strong Communities

Through Climate Strong Communities (CSC), the City will use CDBG-DR funds to perform area-wide analyses of climate risks. Projects that come out of the CSC process will work to "future-proof" areas from climate threats like sea level rise/coastal flooding, extreme precipitation, and increased heat. CSC will focus on underserved neighborhoods across the city and develop four to six potential projects per area. Communities have been identified based on high Heat Vulnerability Index (HVI) scores, extreme storm surge, and significant precipitation exposure. Many of the communities also meet environmental justice criteria across a variety of different local, state, and federal metrics. Areas currently considered for funding include Southeast/West Bronx, Southern Brooklyn, Upper Manhattan, North/Central Queens, and the North Shore of Staten Island.

Emergency Data Improvement Initiative 

In response to the recommendations from the City’s after-action report on the extreme rain event linked to Post-Tropical Cyclone Ida in September 2021, NYCEM is initiating the Emergency Data Improvement Initiative. This initiative aims to enhance the integration of field data collected by community entities during emergencies, improve inter-agency data sharing, and develop new data products for emergency response.

Central to this initiative is the formation of an interagency Emergency Data Governance Committee (EDGC), chaired by NYCEM. The committee's mission includes identifying gaps and challenges in data acquisition and management for operational response and situational awareness, evaluating proposed solutions, and establishing standards and protocols for effective data governance. Both organizational and technological solutions will be explored by the committee.

FEMA Flood Mitigation Assistance Cost Share

CDBG-DR funds will be used as the local cost share for FEMA Flood Mitigation Assistance (FMA) for three grants. 

• FMA Howard Beach Flood Mitigation Study to identify flood mitigation options for 1-4 unit homes in southern Queens.
• FMA Esplanade Gardens Study to assist this 1,870-apartment affordable housing development which abuts the Harlem River in East Harlem.
• FMA Michell-Lama Study to recommend and design retrofits which will enhance the climate resiliency of seven affordable housing developments in Brooklyn, Manhattan, and Queens.

Future and Real Time Impact Assessments

This project will develop a customized, NYC-specific forecast tool and dataset that incorporates publicly available and private weather station/sensor data. The intent of this project is to better track predicted and real-time flood events including both the extent of flooding throughout the City and depth of flooding in individual locations. Data would be monitored leading up to, during, and after severe weather events. This would include live-updating maps that can overlay with critical infrastructure and impacted areas. Once the tool is developed and validated, the City would use this information during flood events to better direct emergency response such as deploying emergency resources and messaging. Post-cast data would also be available to immediately determine where flooding has occurred to better prioritize recovery operations including, but not limited to, debris removal, distribution of water pumps, towing damaged vehicles, building inspectors, canvassers, etc.

Geothermal Feasibility Study

The Geothermal Feasibility Study will address an unmet need for mitigation at eight NYCHA developments. NYCHA is evaluating locations for a demonstration project that would connect multiple buildings to a single geothermal heat pump system, creating a “district” that relies on shared heat pump infrastructure to maximize environmental benefits. The study would evaluate innovative technology that could reduce strain on existing infrastructure, making NYCHA properties less susceptible to failure of critical utilities.

This project will target eight NYCHA Developments, five of which are in Most Impacted and Distressed Areas:

• Bronx: East 173rd Street-Vyse Avenue, Stebbins Avenue-Hewitt Place, and Union Avenue-East 166th Street
• Brooklyn: Howard Avenue-Park Place
• Manhattan: King Towers, Lower East Side II, and Wagner
• Staten Island: Stapleton

Neighborhood Studies

The City will conduct area-wide planning studies that will focus on identifying resiliency opportunities for stormwater collection, mobility, and other public improvements, in addition to examining underlying vulnerabilities at the neighborhood level.

Studies will analyze existing conditions and yield holistic plans for capital investments, the adoption of climate adaptation plans, and land use changes in target areas. Land use changes may include plans to retrofit buildings, facilitate new resilient development, and/or create accessible open space, community facilities, and transportation improvements, as examples.

Studies will target areas where stormwater or other storm-related conditions are expected to worsen due to climate change if preventative measures are not identified and put into place. Many of these areas have high population densities and see regular flooding from storms, which impact streets, businesses, community facilities, religious facilities, and homes. The project sets out to holistically address ongoing issues faced by these communities, such as poor-quality housing, recurrent flooding, and limited access to retail, services, and jobs.

Planning for Buyout and Acquisition

This project will be an 18- to 24-month project to explore the establishment of a permanent Housing Mobility and Land Acquisition Program. Such a program would assist owners of flood-vulnerable 1-4 family properties to voluntarily sell their homes in response to growing climate threats and challenges.

CDBG-DR funds will be used to create a method to evaluate and prioritize homes interested in participating in a program based on a combination of physical risk, socioeconomic considerations, and long-term infrastructure goals. The project will also:

• consider how to leverage multiple funding streams and align eligibility criteria to meet these disparate streams;
• identify ways to ensure the equitable transition of flood-vulnerable properties to resilient and sustainable land uses;
• foster innovative land stewardship;
• identify best practices and considerations;
• develop policy and procedures to address renter-occupied properties; and
• establish clear protocols and services that support households as they navigate through buyout programs.

Post-Disaster Housing Recovery Study

NYCEM will use CDBG-DR funds to evaluate post-disaster housing operations and funding following a range of different disaster events at different scales. The study will conduct research on disaster recovery programs implemented for housing repair (for 1-4 family units and multi-family), including temporary and permanent housing solutions following different disasters and outcomes/solutions implemented. Part of this analysis would include working with stakeholders from City agencies and non-profit organizations on current housing recovery capabilities. Finally, the initiative will result in a housing recovery playbook (standard operating procedure) to operationalize the accepted recommendations from the summary report to be integrated into the City's larger Coastal Storm Plan.

Stormwater Flooding Study

Low-lying living spaces and people living in them are especially susceptible to stormwater flooding. The Department of City Planning (DCP) will use the Department of Environmental Protection's stormwater map data, data DCP has collected on low-lying living spaces, as well as socio-economic and built environment data to identify and create profiles for areas highly vulnerable to stormwater flooding. This will be an important first step for working with agency partners to identify what can be done to reduce NYC's exposure to this type of flood risk. DCP will analyze where flooding would be most acute and what the consequences would be. This information will help lay the groundwork for future mitigation measures, including potential updates to NYC's Building Code and Zoning Resolution to promote stormwater-resistant construction.

Zoning for Inland Flood Resiliency

This project would research possible zoning and building code changes to facilitate recovery and long-term resiliency in flood-prone inland areas. This would include working with other city agencies with expertise on the topic. After identifying possible changes, the project would support the City in undertaking the public review process to add them to the City's Zoning Resolution and Building Code.