REMARKS
Council Member Schulman discusses flooding concerns in Central Queens and requests for better preparedness
0:30:08
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Council Member Lynn C. Schulman addresses the committee about flooding issues in her district (Central Queens), which is not typically considered a flood zone. She emphasizes the need for better preparedness and resource allocation in areas that may unexpectedly experience flooding due to climate change. Schulman also mentions an upcoming hearing on public emergency response.
- Describes a major flooding event in 2020 that caused significant damage and a fatality in her district
- Requests a list of civic organizations and other groups that NYCEM works with for emergency preparedness
- Announces an upcoming hearing on February 19th about public emergency response, which will cover various aspects including cooling centers
Lynn C. Schulman
0:30:08
That's okay.
0:30:10
So, I represent, Central Queens.
0:30:14
My district is 29.
0:30:15
It's Forest Hills, Kew Gardens, Richmond Hill, and, it's not known as a flood zone.
0:30:20
So but in, in 2,000 and, 20, it had there was a major storm, and so and there was so much flooding.
0:30:33
I mean, people were flooding out of their houses.
0:30:35
There was major damage.
0:30:36
Somebody actually died in my district, who was in a basement apartment in a large high rise building.
0:30:43
So I wanna make sure and by the way, when we it was the previous administration, so it wasn't this one.
0:30:48
But resources I mean, I was on staff.
0:30:51
I wasn't a council member at the time.
0:30:53
I was on staff in the speaker's office, and I had to go to the administration and beg for resources because they said, oh, well that area is not known as a flood zone and, you know, so we wanna make sure and and I don't happen to have civic associations in my district as it turns out for the most part.
0:31:12
So we need to really have a plan for areas like that and, there was another storm subsequent to that where there was a a lot of flooding not as much as that time.
0:31:21
So I wanna make sure that that happens and we have, you know, I I'd like for you if you could supply us, I know you don't have it now, with a list of the civic organizations and other other organizations that you work with because then what we could do is we could take a look and see if we wanna make additions to it cause I I think that that's very important.
0:31:40
And especially with climate change, there's all kinds of things that could happen.
0:31:45
So, we wanna be on top of it and be prepared.
0:31:48
I will make a comment that on February 19th, I am having a hearing.
0:31:53
It was originally on a bill about cooling centers.
0:31:56
It's gonna be a much bigger hearing now.
0:31:58
It's gonna be about the public emergency response in general with DOHMH and everything everything that's going on with federal government, everything else of what we're gonna do moving forward with a number of things.
0:32:08
So I just wanna let you know that so that you're prepared to answer some of those questions.
0:32:13
Thank you.
Heather Roiter
0:32:14
I said thank you.
0:32:15
And we'll make sure to take back that, request for the list of CBOs.