New York City Mayor Eric Adams has announced the completion of a $42.3 million flood prevention project designed to reduce street flooding and bolster public safety in East Flatbush and Canarsie, Brooklyn. The project adds nearly 1,200 new pieces of green infrastructure aimed at managing stormwater runoff at its source and easing pressure on the city's drainage systems.
“Our administration continues to focus on creating a safer, more affordable city, and with climate change continuing to produce more intense and more frequent extreme weather, investments like these are a key part of our public safety and affordability strategies,” said Mayor Adams.
The project features 906 infiltration basins and 291 rain gardens, designed to capture approximately 122.5 million gallons of stormwater annually. Rain gardens are engineered curbside installations, similar in appearance to traditional tree beds but equipped with specialized soil and plantings designed for maximum infiltration. Each rain garden can absorb up to 2,500 gallons of stormwater during a single storm. Infiltration basins, integrated seamlessly into sidewalks, also capture runoff and allow it to percolate into the subsoil, relieving the burden on surface streets and sewer lines.
Infiltration basin. Credit: NYC
This project builds on broader citywide efforts to modernize drainage infrastructure. Last fall, Mayor Adams marked the completion of major sewer upgrades in College Point and Maspeth, where drainage capacity was tripled and doubled respectively, significantly improving stormwater management. Additional initiatives included the installation of the city’s 200th flood sensor in Corona, Queens, providing real-time monitoring of flood-prone areas, and the groundbreaking of the first Cloudburst project at the South Jamaica Houses, designed to retain nearly 3.5 million gallons of stormwater during extreme weather events.
Rain garden. Credit: NYC
Deputy Mayor for Operations Jeff Roth emphasized the urgency of proactive flood management: "Delivering rain gardens and infiltration basins may seem minor, but in aggregate, they offset tens of millions of gallons of rainwater, saving property and, most importantly, lives."
Overall, these investments are part of the Adams administration’s $12.3 billion commitment to expanding New York City’s stormwater management system, leveraging both green and traditional gray infrastructure to enhance resilience against climate-driven extreme weather.
