Press Release

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
#39-21

NYC EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT, MAYOR’S OFFICE OF CLIMATE RESILIENCY & NYC DEPARTMENT OF DESIGN AND CONSTRUCTION VISIT ATLANTIC BASIN IN RED HOOK TO MARK COMPLETION OF THE INTERIM FLOOD PROTECTION MEASURES PROGRAM


August 3, 2021 – The New York City Emergency Management Department, Mayor’s Office of Climate Resiliency, and New York City Department of Design and Construction visited the Atlantic Basin in Red Hook to celebrate the completion of the Interim Flood Protection Measures (IFPM) program. The Atlantic Basin IFPM site in Red Hook is the program’s final planned installation. The Interim Flood Protection Measures program was created in 2016 to protect critical facilities, infrastructure, and low-lying areas in New York City from flooding caused by a hurricane. NYC Emergency Management Commissioner John Scrivani, New York City Mayor’s Office of Climate Resiliency Director Jainey Bavishi, and NYC Department of Design and Construction Commissioner Jamie Torres-Springer were on-hand to visit the site and deliver remarks during the event.

“NYC Emergency Management is proud to announce the completion of the Interim Flood Protection Measures construction in Red Hook. With the addition of IFPM at the Atlantic Basin, low-lying, vulnerable areas in the neighborhood receive some added protection from potential storm surge,” said New York City Emergency Management Commissioner John Scrivani. “It’s also a great opportunity to remind New Yorkers that August marks the start of peak Atlantic hurricane season. It’s important that New Yorkers also take steps to prepare their families for coastal storms; the best way to start is by finding out if you live in one of the city’s six hurricane evacuation zones by visiting NYC.gov/knowyourzone.”

The Atlantic Basin IFPM was designed with the goal of protecting the area from the impacts of storm surge. NYC Emergency Management led the project, with support from the New York City Mayor’s Office of Climate Resiliency and the Department of Design and Construction. The project team also includes the NYC Department of Transportation, Department of Environmental Protection, New York City Economic Development Corporation, and the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey. 

“New York City’s lowest lying neighborhoods face increasing flood risks due to the climate crisis,” said Jainey Bavishi, Director of the Mayor’s Office of Climate Resiliency. “The City is advancing a two-part strategy to make Red Hook safer and more resilient. The temporary measures that have just been completed will provide immediate protections against coastal flooding. At the same time, we are continuing to work with the community to design a permanent coastal resiliency project that will provide long-term protections.”

“Climate change and its risks to neighborhoods like Red Hook are here, and DDC is deeply engaged in coastal resiliency projects to protect the City’s many waterfront communities,” said NYC Department of Design and Construction Commissioner Jamie Torres-Springer. “DDC is proud to have worked with NYC Emergency Management to install interim flood protection measures in Red Hook’s Atlantic Basin and nine other locations around the City that were threatened or damaged by Superstorm Sandy, including Metropolitan and Coler Hospitals and the 60th Precinct in Coney Island. We are also working with the Red Hook community to design permanent flood mitigation projects for the Atlantic Basin and Beard Street areas.”

Through a comprehensive risk assessment process, Red Hook was identified as a priority site to receive flood protection through the Interim Flood Protection Measures program. The Atlantic Basin IFPM design includes a combination of semi-permanent barriers with various openings that allow for normal site operations. These storm openings are then closed when storm surge from a coastal storm is forecast using just-in-time, deployable protection measures. Interim flood protection measures provide a short-term level of protection while permanent mitigation is constructed at the site. City agencies worked with engineering consultants and agencies to evaluate flood risks, perform site visits and feasibility assessments, and determined what measures to install to reduce flood risk at each IFPM location. The Atlantic Basin site will receive permanent protection from the Red Hook Coastal Resiliency (RHCR) project.

The completion of the Atlantic Basin IFPM site coincides with peak hurricane season in New York City, which runs from August through October. NYC Emergency Management plans and prepares year-round for coastal storms and has a comprehensive Coastal Storm Plan that includes detailed procedures for evacuating and sheltering residents. Areas of the city subject to storm surge flooding are divided into six evacuation zones (1 through 6). During a coastal storm, an evacuation order may be issued for those living in hurricane evacuation zones. To find out if you are one of the three million New Yorkers living in a hurricane evacuation zone, visit NYC.gov/knowyourzone or call 311.

MEDIA CONTACT:                       Tashawn Brown/Ines Bebea (press@oem.nyc.gov)

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