The Issue
Low-lying Red Hook frequently experiences flooding during heavy rain events. Red Hook receives stormwater runoff from adjacent neighborhoods and suffers from issues associated with a high water table. Flooding of low-lying areas and basements during and after heavy rain events is a frequently occurring problem, and regular flooding creates recurring costs and inconvenience for property owners, businesses and residents. Solving drainage problems is therefore a critical priority. However, further analysis of the specific conditions leading to
flooding in particular locations would be necessary to develop solutions and mitigation measures.
The Solution
The purpose of the proposed study would be to gather information about the causes of recurring drainage problems in Red Hook and to identify potential targeted solutions to these problems. The proposed study should be coordinated with the Brooklyn Greenway Initiative’s ongoing work to develop stormwater design guidelines for the Brooklyn Greenway, andinvestigate the existing sewer, stormwater and groundwater conditions in Red Hook to better understand the type and extent of recurring drainage issues and identify their likely causes. Components of the study would include:
• A high-level review of information made available the City and analysis undertaken as part of the NYRCR planning process to prioritize problem areas and identify specific problem site(s)
• A more in-depth study by professional engineers and hydrologists to analyze existing drainage and groundwater conditions at a specific site or sites with acute problems
• Recommendations for a suite of interventions and projects that might be undertaken to address problems identified by the study, both by public agencies and local property owners
RRH Action
We are constantly monitoring our streets for flooding, providing reports to DEP and 311 to document how such flooding impacts our community. With increased rainfall due to changing weather patterns, and the high water table drainage is on-going issue that must be addressed and integrated with all project proposals. While Red Hook has been told in the past by various city agencies that a drainage study is critical, it has not yet been undertaken. We implore the city to take action and work to create such a study so that the right solutions are proposed and enacted.