We hosted our October 19th Chapter Meeting at Patagonia Brooklyn (thank you for staying open late for us!). Katie Graziano from the Community Flood Watch Project presented as our guest speaker. Flood Watch is co-led by New York Sea Grant and the Science and Resilience Institute at Jamaica Bay. Katie spoke to us about her data collection and research on flooding in NYC coastal communities, and how this information is compiled into reports to visualize how “normal” high tides could look in the future due to sea level rise, and to improve forecasts of flooding and coastal hazards.
These reports are crucial to communicate to city leaders as coastal flooding becomes increasingly more frequent and widespread. There are parts of the Rockaways that already consistently flood twice a month due to the moon's gravitational pull. Identifying which areas are most prone to floods can also help us determine where to work with communities on planting Ocean Friendly Gardens to create more pervious surfaces that can help counteract the effects of regular flooding.
To easily help the Community Flood Watch Project document instances of flooding in and around your neighborhood, please consider submitting photos and information on the MyCoast NY web tool or new app.
Learn more about the Community Flood Watch Project on their website here.
You can contact Katie Graziano at kag247@cornell.edu. Thank you Katie for taking the time and sharing your knowledge with us!
