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Efforts underway to plug flooding at Flushing’s Kissena Park: Queens councilmember
By
Catalina Gonella
Published Jun 14, 2023
Modified Jun 15, 2023
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John Nacion/NurPhoto/Shutterstock
By
Catalina Gonella
Published Jun 14, 2023
Modified Jun 15, 2023
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A Queens-based member of the City Council is calling on City Hall to help address flooding issues around a vulnerable park in Flushing.
Councilmember Sandra Ung sent a letter to Mayor Eric Adams last month asking for updates on flooding mitigation measures after areas around Kissena Park flooded during a storm last month. The more recent round of flooding was reminiscent of that of September 2021, when Hurricane Ida hit the New York City area, dumping historic rainfall and overwhelming the city’s sewer system. On Wednesday, Ung said the Department of Environmental Protection was in talks to try and prevent any future flooding.
Previously, DEP officials had said the complexity of the drainage area around Kissena Park would make a traditional sewer upgrade project cost billions of dollars and take decades to complete. The department is now “evaluating a phased approach to sewer modifications, upgrades, and storage solutions to reduce surcharging and address the underlying cause of flooding in the community,” Ung said.
“We are seeing the effects that climate change is having on our world right here in Flushing,” Ung said. “Incidents of extreme weather are leading to more frequent flooding that is having devastating and dangerous consequences for the people who live around Kissena Park. There will not be one easy solution to this issue, but I was encouraged to learn about some of the projects underway to help mitigate the issue in the near term.”
The agency plans to meet with Flushing residents in the fall.
Earlier this year, the DEP announced that Kissena Park would be part of the first round of cloudburst hubs, which are designed to absorb massive amounts of rainfall.
The city is also dedicating $1 million in federal Hurricane Ida funding for a "housing mobility" program to determine the cost of acquiring sites that experience chronic flooding, voluntarily moving residents out and converting the land into sustainable uses.
Mayoral spokesperson Charles Lutvak cited that program, outlined in PlaNYC, in response to Ung's concerns.
"With this program, we will provide homeowners and renters with financial counseling, housing counseling, and planning services to prepare residents for future moves, while converting the acquired land to resilient and sustainable uses like bluebelts and other green infrastructure," Lutvak said in an email. "The program will prioritize communities like Kissena Park that face risk of chronic flooding, coastal surge flooding, and stormwater flooding.”
This story has been updated with comment from the mayor's office.
Tagged
queens
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Catalina Gonella
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