FloodNet Cooperative Part of NYC Mayor's Plans

Supported by Marron Institute

The New York City Office of the Mayor released The New Normal: Combatting Storm-Related Extreme Weather in New York City, created by the Extreme Weather Response Task Force to provide New York City “with a new blueprint to prepare for and respond to extreme weather.” The report recommends “expand[ing] the City’s nascent flood sensor network to provide real-time depth data in high-risk locations. There is significant potential in integrating this data into real-time situational awareness, alerts, future forecasting, and long-term planning” (see page 41). This flood-sensor network, FloodSense, is being developed by NYU Tandon researchers Andrea Silverman, Elizabeth Hénaff, Charlie Mydlarz, and Tega Brain, as part of the FloodNet cooperative of communities, researchers, and New York City government agencies. The NYU Marron Institute supports FloodNet through early programmatic funding on urban flooding.

Recently, the NYU Tandon researchers used their FloodSense sensors to analyze the impact of Hurricanes Ida and Henri.

The sensors are designed to help cities respond to emergencies by providing real-time information on flood depth, frequency, and duration. A data dashboard is currently under development to also allow community members to access flood data and additional data streams, such as rainfall data, 311 flooding complaints, and social media feeds, as well as the digital infrastructure necessary to log, process, and present this data for quick and efficient response.

Read the Report Press Release

View Hurricane Henri and Ida Analysis

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