Following Historic Storm and Flooding, Comptroller Lander Launches Investigation Into City’s Management of Extreme Rainfall

New York, NY — New York City Comptroller Brad Lander announced his office is launching an investigation into the City’s ability to manage extreme rainfall, after Tropical Storm Ophelia shut down subway lines, damaged basements and flooded streets last week. The investigation will evaluate how the City is implementing the policies and protocols it set forth after Hurricane Ida. The goal is to learn from the impact of and response to Ophelia, in order to more effectively prepare for and respond to future extreme rainfall events.

“Last week’s brutal storm was just the latest example of extreme weather that is sadly becoming our new climate reality,” Comptroller Lander said. “To ensure the City can respond as effectively as possible to keep New Yorkers safe from increasingly strong and frequent storms, we must make sure we’re implementing the plans we’ve made, and doing everything we reasonably can to accelerate action.”

“We’re proud of the tireless work and swift response from thousands of city workers in response to last week’s flooding, which ensured we did not have a single reported death or serious injury, and that we were able to quickly rescue 18 New Yorkers from cars and basement apartments, but there is always more work to do to ensure the safety of our city’s residents,” said Mayor Adams. “Infrastructure upgrades we made across the city in this administration, including in the Jewel Streets neighborhood of Queens, helped alleviate flooding within hours, rather than within the weeks it took during Hurricane Ida two years ago. At the same time, our administration is thinking creatively and acting aggressively to prepare New Yorkers and our city for the ever-growing threat of severe storms — including through our Capital Process Reform Task Force with Comptroller Lander, which has put forward reforms to accelerate major infrastructure projects. We look forward to working with the comptroller on a fair, thorough, and balanced review to ensure our city is equipped as these storms become increasingly frequent and severe.”

When Hurricane Ida hit in September 2021, it brought the heaviest rainfalls New York City has ever seen. The rains lasted eight hours and fell at an unprecedented level of intensity that exceeded the capacity of the City’s sewer system. Tragically, 13 people lost their lives, 11 of whom were horrifically trapped in basement apartments.

In response to Hurricane Ida, the City unveiled action items for future extreme weather events, laid out across several plans. It convened an Extreme Weather Response Task Force of interagency staff who issued a new set of protocols and policies for combatting heavy rainstorms in a report issued later that same month called The New Normal. In 2022, the Adams Administration released Rainfall Ready, a plan that outlines actions for the City to take to address intense storms, along with key safety precautions. The City received $188 million through HUD CDBG-Disaster Recovery funding in 2022 to carry out an action plan for long-term Hurricane Ida recovery efforts.

Using the near- and long-term action items laid out in these post-Ida plans, Lander’s office will assess the City’s progress in implementing its commitments, as well as what other actions are necessary. For near-term actions that were to be enacted immediately, the office will review how well those measures have been integrated into the City’s emergency response, and to what extent they were followed for Tropical Storm Ophelia. The investigation will also review whether longer-term initiatives, such as capital infrastructure improvements, are on track, and consider recommendations for accelerating or expanding those actions.

“Before the next extreme weather event, we must ensure our City has effectively adopted all of the lessons we learned from recent storms,” Louise Yeung, the Comptroller’s Chief Climate Officer, said. “These types of rainstorms are only becoming more frequent – and our efforts to prepare must escalate accordingly.”

“Since Hurricane Ida’s devastating impact on New York City, the city has taken aggressive action to prepare for the ever-greater threat of severe storms,” said Chief Climate Officer and DEP Commissioner Rit Aggarwala. “We continue to implement the next generation of stormwater solutions — both quick fixes and more significant long-term upgrades. We’re committed to collaborating closely with Comptroller Lander’s office to accelerate the work and fight for funding as we make New York City more resilient.”

“As Tropical Storm Ophelia reminded us, environmental justice communities across New York City are on the front lines of the damage and danger brought by climate change-fueled storms,” said Eddie Bautista, Executive Director of the New York City Environmental Justice Alliance. “Low-income communities of color in Brooklyn and Southeast Queens who once again saw their homes, subways, and streets inundated by extreme rain cannot wait any longer for the physical and communications infrastructure need to protect their lives and property. The City must move with urgency to do everything it can to ensure the safety and resiliency of frontline communities.”

“Last week’s storm brought us yet another stark reminder of the urgent need to address the threat facing basement tenants and homeowners,” said Annetta Seecharran, Executive Director of Chhaya Community Development Corporation. “We witnessed once again New Yorkers left to fend for themselves, literally bailing themselves out in the deluge. The climate crisis is now bearing down on an important part of the affordable housing market — homes and lives are at risk. We need the City and State to take action now.”

Read Lander’s letter to Mayor Eric Adams about the investigation.

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