Many of New York City’s Black and Brown neighborhoods are at high risk of coastal and stormwater flooding. Queens Councilmember Dr. Nantasha Williams passed a bill last week to address this long-overdue issue in Southeast Queens.
“In Southeast Queens, residents have been sounding the alarm about groundwater flooding for years, asking for real recognition and coordinated action,” said Williams in a statement. “This legislation marks a turning point… the first meaningful city response to this issue in over 40 years.”
The city’s been at the mercy of a rising sea level, harsher storms, and higher tides, mostly because of the effects of climate change. In 2021, heavy rain from Hurricane Ida killed more than a dozen New Yorkers, mostly in Queens.
By the 2040s, the city is expected to see 60–85 days of tidal floods, according to the New York State Climate Impacts Assessment. As the tides rise, low-lying neighborhoods in southeast Queens, the Rockaways, and others near Jamaica Bay, some of which are at sea level, are at risk of even more flooding.
The groundwater flooding issue stems from this overarching climate crisis as well as local closures of wells and shifts in land use over time. Water steadily impacts people’s homes as it creeps slowly into their basements, boilers, and foundations. The damages eventually cost families hundreds or thousands in repairs.
“It moves us beyond inaction and toward real solutions, centering the voices of those impacted and demanding accountability from city agencies. This effort ensures Southeast Queens will no longer be overlooked, and that our communities receive the sustained attention and investment necessary to protect their homes and futures,” said Williams.
Williams’ bill (Intro 1067-B) builds on years of advocacy from Southeast Queens residents. It aims to coordinate community-based organization (CBOs) with the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) to identify homes impacted by groundwater flooding and connect residents with available retrofit programs and resourcing. It also establishes a five-year interagency task force to study long-term adaptation strategies to the area’s ongoing groundwater problem, and a citywide data report on groundwater flooding trends.
“The Council is also proud to pass legislation to establish a Southeast Queens Flooding Adaptation Task Force, which is urgently needed as residents of Southeast Queens disproportionately suffer from groundwater and stormwater flooding,” added City Council Speaker Adrienne Adams in a statement. “As climate disasters continue to increase in frequency, it’s critical that we prepare in advance to ensure the safety of all New Yorkers and our communities.”