New York State Commits $80 Million to Flood Preparedness: $6.7 Million for Harlem River's Dyckman Houses, $6.1 Million for Long Beach; Another $45 Million Round Opens in October

Gov. Kathy Hochul announced on Sept. 21, the opening day of Climate Week NYC, that the state will provide $80 million for projects to reduce flood damage and improve water and sewer systems. Dyckman Houses, a NYCHA development in Inwood, Manhattan, will receive $6.7 million, and Long Beach on Long Island will receive $6.1 million. Peekskill and Larchmont in Westchester were also among those selected. In October, a new round of the $45 million Green Resiliency Grant will open for applications.

New York State will provide $80 million for local projects that reduce flood damage and improve river water quality. On Sept. 21, the opening day of Climate Week, Gov. Kathy Hochul said funding will go to local governments and public agencies through the state Environmental Facilities Corporation (EFC) under the Green Resiliency Grant, Green Innovation Grant and Engineering Planning Grant programs.

In New York City, the Dyckman Houses, a New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA) development in Inwood at the northern end of Manhattan, will receive $6.7 million. The project will build rain gardens (bioretention) and stormwater storage facilities around Dyckman Houses and Nagle Avenue to collect rainwater and let it soak into the ground, reducing overflow toward the Harlem River. The City of Long Beach on Long Island will use $6.1 million to install permeable pavement on Park Avenue to prevent flooding toward Reynolds Channel.

Peekskill, Larchmont and Hartsdale Also Selected in Westchester

In Westchester, the City of Peekskill will use $3 million to build a rain garden at Riverfront Park and reinforce a stream bank to improve water quality in the Hudson River. The Village of Larchmont will use $3 million to build stormwater infiltration facilities around Avon Circle and Port Chester Middle School to prepare for flooding of Blind Brook. The environmental group Save the Sound will receive $1.4 million to remove the Hartsdale dam and restore the Bronx River floodplain. The Village of Patchogue on Long Island will receive $50,000 for sewer design costs.

In October, the state will open another round of the Green Resiliency Grant, worth $45 million. Local governments and public agencies may apply. Gov. Hochul said, "We are making strategic investments in improvements that are both environmentally sustainable and fiscally responsible." EFC President Maureen Coleman explained, "This is funding that allows local governments to tackle challenges without placing a burden on residents."

In recent years, the New York area has seen more frequent basement flooding from heavy downpours that arrive in a short time. With a coastal low-pressure system forecast to develop this weekend, bringing rain and the possibility of coastal flooding, residents of low-lying areas are advised to clear debris around storm drains in advance and move items stored in basements to higher ground.