Good morning, Chairs Brewer and Ariola and thank you for the opportunity to testify today. My name is Brit Byrd, and I am a Senior Planner in the office of Brooklyn Borough President Antonio Reynoso.
On September 29, a life-threatening rainstorm dropped up to 7+ inches of rain on Brooklyn. To put this in perspective, according to the Weather Channel, the city on average gets about 4.3 inches for the entire month of September. The storm left commuters stranded as subways shut down, flooded schools, trapped people in basement apartments, caused damage to homes and vehicles, and generally created dangerous conditions across the city.
Extreme weather events like this are becoming more common due to climate change. As outlined in the Borough President’s recently released Comprehensive Plan for Brooklyn, we are facing increased threats from both coastal inundation and stormwater flooding. As you can see in the attached maps, this impacts every neighborhood in the borough.
The chaos on September 29 was a cautionary tale that underscores the importance of preparation for these weather events and clear communication with the public about them. We have the tools to achieve this, including a 2021 report from the de Blasio administration’s Extreme Weather Response Task Force that called for strengthening inter-agency coordination; improving communication with vulnerable communities, property owners, and the public; and utilizing data to inform decision-making; in addition to preventative measures such as infrastructure upgrades.
It is critical that the administration develop data-driven protocols for communicating risk to the public. According to FEMA’s best practices for issuing emergency alerts, an effective alert “includes sufficient information for the public to understand the incident and risk and to guide and urge the public to take appropriate protective action(s).” Right now, Notify NYC’s alerts are brief, and the content users received in advance of September 29 was very similar to what they received in advance of a much less extreme storm only a few days later. This inconsistency can leave users unsure whether to take these warnings seriously. MOCEJ’s upcoming study on Climate Vulnerability, Impact, and Adaptation is engaging the private sector in developing climate projections, characterizing rainfall events, and creating a Coastal Flooding Vulnerability Index. Using this type of information to inform who receives alerts, when, and what actions are suggested will create a clear and trustworthy system that New Yorkers can rely on.
Yet clear and consistent information only goes so far if it doesn’t reach its intended audience. While NotifyNYC’s 1.1 million subscriber number and available language options are impressive, this leaves more than 5.5 million New York City adults who don’t subscribe. The need for users to have an NYCID or existing social media account (not to mention remembering their password) to access this system seems unnecessary and prohibitive and creates concerns about data privacy.
The Comprehensive Plan for Brooklyn makes additional recommendations for addressing storm impacts in the borough, and we look forward to the Council’s partnership as we develop more specific proposals. These include:
- Through a Zoning Text Amendment, require evacuation plans for new construction in floodplains;
- Require new construction projects to follow the City’s Climate Resiliency Design Guidelines;
- Encourage the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) to upgrade sewer infrastructure in areas that experience persistent stormwater flooding; and
- Identify opportunities for nature-based solutions for stormwater capture in the public realm to mitigate flooding.
Borough President Reynoso also supports the three proposals from Council Member Restler being heard today regarding preparedness for air quality emergencies. We submitted testimony to the Council on this issue generally in September, and the BP wants to commend Council Member Restler for developing thoughtful, comprehensive, and data-driven solutions.
Thank you for the opportunity to speak today, we look forward to working with the Council to create a safer and greener city.