Q&A
Council Member De La Rosa discusses flash flooding impacts in Northern Manhattan
0:32:22
ยท
3 min
Council Member Carmen N. De La Rosa raises concerns about flash flooding in her district of Northern Manhattan, focusing on the impact on small businesses and the challenges posed by the area's hilly topography. She inquires about proactive outreach to flood-prone areas and the effect of unauthorized street car washing on catch basin capacity.
- De La Rosa highlights the issue of ponding at the bottom of hills due to rapid flooding events.
- She questions NYCEM's collaboration with other agencies for outreach to small businesses in flood-prone areas.
- The council member brings attention to the problem of unauthorized street car washers affecting catch basin capacity and asks about plans to address this issue.
Carmen N. De La Rosa
0:32:22
Thank you, chair, and thank you all for being here.
0:32:25
I represent Northern Manhattan, Washington Heights in Wood in the northern part of of of the borough.
0:32:31
And one of the things about my district, you know, the heights, is that there's a lot of the topography is such that there's a lot of hills, but then that means there's also a lot of valleys.
0:32:42
One of the things that we've seen, and we've worked with DEP closely on some of the major capital repairs that are needed for our street infrastructure, but what we've seen is a lot of pawning that happens at the bottom of the hills due to how quickly these, floods are happening more most recently.
0:33:01
We've had a lot of, flooding damage.
0:33:03
A lot of it is also, impacting small businesses, because a lot of our businesses are either ground level or below.
0:33:11
We have a lot of businesses, that are that have 2 floors.
0:33:15
We're seeing a lot of damage.
0:33:16
So my first question is, does the agency work with small business services and other sister agencies to do some proactive outreach in areas that are more prone to flood flashing flood flash flooding.
0:33:33
That's the first question.
Heather Roiter
0:33:35
Yeah.
0:33:35
So we've worked with DEP to do targeted outreach in flood risk communities and, really, work to advance some of the strategies that I mentioned around flood alarms and deployables that also residents can take, to help protect their properties too.
0:33:50
So, that's also, something that we would appreciate the council to help us is help promoting those strategies, and also ways if there's ways to partner in getting those into community members too.
Carmen N. De La Rosa
0:34:02
One of the other issues that I'm concerned about, and I've been talking to, other agencies about including sanitation and the department of consumer and worker protection is, the way that our streets are being utilized right now.
0:34:16
In my district, we have the proliferation of street car washers.
0:34:20
And although they're not supposed to, they tap into the local hydrants and wash cars, and it's something that is proliferating.
0:34:27
On one block in my district, you can find 5 of them no matter how cold it is, no matter what the weather is.
0:34:33
One of the things that this is causing is that, the capacity in our catch basins is impacted.
0:34:40
I'm wondering if within the plan to deal with, flash flooding, your agency or DP is taking a look at the way that streets are being used, because it does impact the amount of water that our cash basins can take on when there is a a flat flash flood?
Heather Roiter
0:35:02
I think that's something we'll have to go back with DEP to, get back on back to you on that one.
Carmen N. De La Rosa
0:35:07
And I'm having conversations right now on that specific issues with, both Department of Consumer and Worker Protection, sanitation.
0:35:14
DP knows about some of the issues, and I'd love for you all to also join some of the conversations we're having.
0:35:22
Thank you.
0:35:22
Okay.
Heather Roiter
0:35:22
Thank you, chair.