SW Queens Flooding Helpful Info

A collection of helpful information from various sources about flooding in Southwest Queens. If you think we missed something good, please email us.

NYC and Flood Facts / Stats

We compiled some useful stats from our research, such as:

Q: How much rain water collects on your property in a 1 inch storm?

Q: How much damage can a 1 inch sudden rainstorm cause?

Q: What about sewer backup and how does that relate to flood insurance?

Q: If walls are damaged, is finishing the walls (plaster, painting) covered by flood insurance?

Q: How much progress has NYC made since Hurricane Sandy on key goals for flood mitigation?

To see answers and other questions, click here

Number Buildings At Risk in Sunnyside

An interesting view from First Street Data (who provides climate risk data to Zillow now, so if you look up a house for sale, it will show flood risk as part of listing). This map says: “The neighborhood of Sunnyside has a moderate risk of flooding over the next 30 years. There are 792 properties in Sunnyside that have risk of flooding over the next 30 years. This represents 25.1% of all properties in Sunnyside.” Note: Commercial buildings are in “Major” risk category (see blue bars at bottom).

Report Showing Basement Apartments In Flood Risk Areas

A story from the Sunnyside Post on the Regional Plan Association (RPA 2022) found that there are approximately 31,000 low-density residential buildings in central Queens neighborhoods that have below grade basements, which property owners frequently convert into unlicensed apartments. Many are at high-risk of flooding during extreme rainfall. Note: The RPA recently updated their estimates and now project 82,000 homes are likely to be lost in NYC by 2040 (..that’s 15 years from now).

NYC Climate Resilience Plans and Risks on Map

A SW Queens map view of flooding risk from BOTH stormwater (light blue) and coastal surge (purple). This comes from NYC Climate Resilience Plan Mapper to show how city is focussing on grey and green infrastructure projects in higher risk areas. Note: it is an interactive map so you can play with it to see layers (flooding, heat, etc), different plans/projects, zoom in or out.

Flood Risk Map WITH Groundwater and 311 Reports

We like this map from Field Form in that it combines historic waterbody paths, stormwater flooding projections, coastal flooding projections, sewer and basement backup history and other publicly available data to aggregate and determine relative flooding exposure levels for every individual property.

NYC Green Infrastructure Flooding Portal

NYC DEP knows that sewer upgrades are needed but also cannot handle all the water that is coming our way. Another key part of the plan is to leverage nature and green projects that hold or slow down water BEFORE it overwhelms the old sewers. This map shows various efforts across the city. From tree beds to rain gardens, to bio-swales, even parks designed to act like sponges. See the various types and locations. PS: they cant just be installed, they need to be maintained.

Incentives for Mitigation

• State funded “Resilient Retrofit” program passed by Governor Hochul. Basic Gist: $20M in funding made available to Eligible homeowners earning up to 120 percent of their Area Median Income can apply for up to $50,000, half of which is available as a grant and half as a three percent low-interest loan. Can be used to cover the cost installing flood vents, a sump pump, or backwater valve/backflow preventer; moving utilities above the flood line; adding insulation; electrifying heating systems; or installing energy efficient appliances or lighting. If you don’t qualify for this and your income is a bit higher, there is also a sister program for higher AMI called “HomeFix”. In NYC, program administrator is Center for NYC Neighborhoods.

• Increase DEP’s role as an accelerator of mitigation by partnering with CBO’s under City Council Bill 1067. Basic gist: Require the DEP to enable feedback from community based organization to indicate what buildings in their area need retro-fit work for flooding and help find resources to make it happen. Focus is Southeast Queens. Currently “laid over” in Committee on Envir Protection. From City Council Member Nantasha Williams.

• Using water bills to help incentivize flood mitigation work under Senate Bill S4071. Basic gist: Allows local water and sewer authorities, like New York City Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) to manage stormwater and sewage waste together. Intent is to allow water bills to help fund stormwater management work on public and private property. From State Sen. Rachel May.

• Rebuild By Design’s Rainproof NYC has put focus on incentives for mitigation work, Working Group #3. Basic gist: recommendations published after a year long discussion with experts, community members and city agencies. 

Preparedness and Funding

• $125M Federal Funds for Flooding Resilience in Queens and BK: Supported by Rep. Nydia Velazquez, S. 4367 is the approval for Water Resources Development Act (WRDA) of 2024. Basic gist: WRDA is a water infrastructure bill that authorizes projects under Army Corps of Engineers and their “HATS” study analyzing flooding sources. Once the bill becomes law, Congress would still need to allocate funding during appropriations for the Corps to move forward. Also includes $25 million in water and wastewater improvements for Newtown Creek watershed area neighborhoods.

• NYC Comptroller’s reports (2): first on how NYC has spent (or not) allocated funds on plan post Hurricane Sandy; and second on the status of funding for resiliency under new Federal administration. Basic gist: the city has not made as much progress on post-Sandy goals and resiliency project funding from federal government is now being threatened in 2025.

• Federal funding: $160M in Federal money for NYC resiliency work under the “Water Resource Development Act” 2024 HR 8812. Basic gist: money for updated study and plan in NYC and harbor with mandate that US Army Corps of Engineers address variety of flooding threats. Article here.

• Establishing an Office of Resilience and a Chief Resilience Officer at the Governor level, as well as a statewide climate resilience plan for New York. Basic gist: give someone the job to focus on this state-wide. Two bills: Senate Bill S8158A from Sen. Pete Harkham and Assembly Bill A10573 from AM Pheffer Amato.

😅 Want to see something added here? Please let us know.