On the eve of yet another rainstorm, nearly 100 Bronx homeowners, property owners, and residents gathered in Hunts Point on July 28th for a town hall to learn about city resilience efforts strategies that will help them protect their homes and property from flood damage.
The event, hosted by the Department of Environmental Protection, alongside Bronx Borough President Vanessa Gibson and Council Member Justin Sanchez talked about the causes for flooding and ways homeowners can safeguard their homes while the city collectively works towards solutions to address excessive flooding.
Bronx residents that attended the town hall received free flooding preparedness kits that included a flood barrier, a sump pump and a flood sensor alarm.
The Deputy Commissioner of the New York City Department of Environmental Protection Beth DeFalco demonstrated how to use the flood barrier equipment for homeowners in a presentation. She presented a slideshow explaining how to use the equipment, then demonstrated it in person so residents could visualize how to use it on their own.
DeFalco emphasized the importance of bringing the community together to educate residents about New York City’s increasingly intense rainfall over the past five years and the ways both the city and residents can help mitigate flooding in the community.
“We’re trying to help people become resilient and bounce back from the storms.” DeFalco said. “I hope they have a better understanding of how our system works…and that we are working really hard to try and solve these very complicated problems in engineering.”
The DEP is investing nearly $9 billion for a 10 year capital plan to address the aging infrastructure that includes sewer upgrades citywide.
The agency is also studying drainage in collaboration with the MTA to develop solutions for flooding near Longwood and Mott Haven Yard. It also plans to modernize catch basins and improve their inspections ahead of major storms.
Those efforts are part of a broader citywide strategy to strengthen New York City’s stormwater infrastructure.
In March, Mayor Zohran Mamdani announced a $108 million investment to modernize the city’s catch basins infrastructure.
Homeowners told the Bronx Times that the town hall was successful in helping them learn about how to prevent and prepare for flooding.
Marzetta Harris is a Longwood homeowner who’s experienced sewer backups in the past. She said the event provided her with the supplies she needed to prepare for the next storm.
She welcomes the DEP efforts to improve flooding infrastructure in her community.
“This is a wonderful event, especially because of the flooding we had going on in the last couple of years. It’s wonderful that they are giving us something and wonderful that they are doing something with the infrastructure through DEP with the catch basins.”
Dr. Leticia Jones, 71, is also a Longwood resident whose historic brownstone has experienced repeated basement flooding during storms. She said she made it her responsibility to come out before the evening of the big flood to receive supplies.
She praises the city’s commitment to helping residents prepare for the stormy weather ahead.
“It was wonderful to see the DEP work with the community to give out flood kits.”
Roland Lopez has lived in the Bronx for more than 80 years and has owned a brownstone in the Bronx for nearly 20 years. He has experienced flooding and said the borough needs bigger drains.
DeFalco said the challenge for the city moving forward is upgrading its outdated infrastructure as weather conditions continue to become more severe.
“Our sewers are working as they were designed, but they were not designed to handle this amount of intense rainfall,” she said.
As the city continues investing in stormwater infrastructure over the coming years, officials say residents’ preparedness and awareness remain the first line of defense against flooding.
“We want to make sure that our homeowners and property owners have the resources and tools they need to be prepared against any flood water and anything that will harm the investments in our community,” Council Member Sanchez said.
