On Oct. 30, flash floods swept through New York City, leaving two dead in Manhattan and Brooklyn from being trapped in basements during the heavy rainstorm. Out-of-date drainage systems only make torrential downpours more dangerous in the city, overwhelming the sewage system abruptly and leaving residents unprepared. As climate change continues to lend its way to more extreme weather events and record-breaking rainfalls year after year, New Yorkers are increasingly forced to swim through an outdated subway system that can only handle 1.75 inches of water per hour. It is imperative that the city’s infrastructure adapts to preserve the city from flooding and to keep its residents safe.
No aspect of a city is as storied as its sewer system, and New York City is no different — with some pipes dating back to 1853. While the sewage system keeps up with the needs of an estimated 8.5 million residents, as well as the 1.3 billion gallons of sewage that flows through its systems every day, it often gets overwhelmed during periods of high and intense rainfall. When the sewer water gets backed up, it pours into basements and other underground spaces, endangering those who frequent or live in these areas.
Most dangerously, city floods fill subway stations, directly endangering and intervening with the commute of its nearly 3.5 million daily riders. Last week’s floods not only resulted in massive delays and suspensions of various subway lines, but it was life-threatening for riders. Leaving our subways system vulnerable to disruptions from extreme events, causing power failures and service shutdowns, makes public transportation even more unreliable. When the state of the city’s current infrastructure essentially shuts down all movement within the city, it fosters concern and frustration to those who cannot afford to stop — such as to those who must get to their jobs, or are forced to miss important events. In the worst cases, lives are put at risk.
While damaging and fatal floods become more common in New York City by the year, climate analysts predict that precipitation levels may increase between 4% to 11% by the 2050s. The increase in precipitation comes with more extreme weather events, resulting in a greater risk of flooding from these higher levels of rainfall.
The Battery, in lower Manhattan, also experiences an average of 10 high tide floods a year. Climate projections predict that sea levels in the area may rise by 14 to 19 inches by 2050 and 30 to 50 inches by 2100 — potentially increasing its average annual flooding to between 60 and 85 days within the next two decades.
These are unmanageable changes if we’re caught unprepared. Without acting quickly on both protective measures for flooding and climate policy, New York City will sink. It is up to the city to take these warnings seriously and provide better public drainage systems to its most at risk areas. In addition, the most impacted neighborhoods are also the most economically vulnerable — and oftentimes do not have the personal resources or local assistance to help themselves through the natural crises, a factor that caused those recent fatalities.
Some homeowners have opted to install private, backwater valves in their homes to prevent flooding in cases where the public sewage system overflows. However, with installations ranging from $10,000 to over $15,000 depending on the quality and reliability of the contractor hired, there is a paywall to safety. This process leaves it to individual residents to choose between the installation of costly sewage valves or their own lives.
The city’s Department of Environmental Protection has already laid out plans to reduce flooding both in the streets and underground. Some of its solutions have been continuing to build sewers that catch rainwater and increasing greenery next to streets and sidewalks, like rain gardens and blue roofs, which detain stormwater, temporarily ponding it to be released after flash floods. While Mayor Eric Adams has prided himself on proposing plans for such a comprehensive drainage system, citizens still find themselves picking up the pieces after natural disasters. It will be up to incoming mayor, Zohran Mamdani, to carry out Adams’ plans to improve the city’s drainage and make infrastructure improvements. City maintenance is at such a low that some New Yorkers have taken this matter into their own hands, unclogging drains because the city won’t. Ultimately, solving this problem will come down to an effective sewage system paired with consistent maintenance: Being able to dispose of floodwater is one thing, but keeping grates empty of garbage is another.
It’s critical that the city ramps up allocated funding toward this department if it wants to keep up with rising levels or precipitation. Its resources should go towards providing a sense of security for all New Yorkers, which will never happen until they’re able to trust their city’s infrastructure to work as intended. This is especially true for minority communities in underdeveloped neighborhoods, where sewage and other systems are even less maintained than in more affluent areas. If New York City refuses to adapt, then sea levels will continue to rise while the city sinks further. As the saying goes, the best time to renovate an aging sewer system was twenty years ago — the second best time is now.
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Contact Serin Lee at [email protected].