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Five years ago, Hurricane Ida ripped through New York City, causing 13 deaths and an estimated $781 million<\/a> in repair and recovery costs. This August, violent storms have flooded the subway system and even created tornadoes.<\/a><\/p>\n While flooding is becoming a bigger problem for NYC as a result of climate change, there are some preventative measures that homeowners can take. Three programs for homeowners administered by the nonprofit Center for NYC Neighborhoods<\/a> aim to prepare NYC residents\u2019 homes for stormwater flooding.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cOur goal is to help homeowners know their risk, know what resources are available, and help them find solutions,\u201d said Aaron Sturm, CNYCN\u2019s deputy director of resiliency.\u00a0<\/p>\n These three resources work together: One website helps you determine your home\u2019s flood risk, the next program helps you identify repairs for better flood protection, and the third helps you to pay for those improvements.<\/p>\n Let\u2019s dive in (but you should never walk or drive <\/a>into flood waters):<\/p>\n This website helps NYC homeowners and buyers determine the flood risk of a particular address. It also provides accessible resources<\/a> that explain flood insurance policies and how they work.<\/p>\n You start by plugging in any NYC address into the site\u2019s search bar. The result displays your risk according to four different flooding maps\u2014FEMA\u2019s outdated flood insurance map, a coastal flood map that is more up to date, and two stormwater flooding maps from NYC\u2019s Department of Environmental Protection.\u00a0<\/p>\n If you\u2019re a renter instead of an owner, flooding should still be on your mind. Under a 2023 law, owners must disclose a building\u2019s history of flood events<\/a>. (While landlords are required to answer truthfully if you ask about past flooding, they don\u2019t need to volunteer information<\/a> about flooding from mechanical or plumbing problems, so be sure to ask.)\u00a0<\/p>\n It\u2019s always a good idea to look for signs of water damage or mold<\/a> when touring a potential apartment. You should also keep in mind that renters\u2019 insurance doesn\u2019t always cover <\/a>flooding from storms, so you may need to obtain flood insurance too.\u00a0<\/p>\n Although Zillow removed<\/a> flooding risk scores from its site in 2025, Redfin includes data from First Street,<\/a> a real estate climate risk analytics site, and provides a flood factor score between on a scale of 1 to 10.\u00a0<\/p>\n Under this free program, engineers inspect your property for flooding vulnerabilities and suggest changes to limit the damage from storms.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cThe licensed engineer would come out, visit the home, identify any potential vulnerabilities, and then they would prepare a written report and some recommendations,\u201d Sturm said.\u00a0<\/p>\n If you are in the flood zone, you\u2019ll also get an elevation certificate,<\/a>\u00a0which can help make sure you aren\u2019t overpaying for flood insurance or prove to your insurance company that improvements you made have lowered your home\u2019s flood risk.Thenyou have the option to sit down with a housing counselor to interpret the technical report and make a plan for improvements, Sturm said.\u00a0<\/p>\n To be eligible for a free audit, homeowners must:<\/p>\n Although the program isn\u2019t restricted by income level, you are also required to provide information about income and the number of household members to ensure lower income homeowners get first priority.<\/p>\n If an audit reveals expensive fixes are needed to protect your property from flooding, there might be money available to you to fund those changes.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cBeing in the audit program doesn’t guarantee the financing, but it does kind of tee you up to know how you can implement some of those actionable items because some of the recommendations can be costly,\u201d Sturm said.<\/p>\n Through a combination of low interest and forgivable loans, this program offers eligible homeowners financing for repairs. If you qualify, you could receive up to $50,000 for repairs, as long as at least 50 percent of the repairs make your home more flood resilient.<\/p>\n That can include things like flood vents or vapor barriers, but also roof repairs, if the materials and structure ensure the roof is better able to withstand flooding. \u201cBasically, you can\u2019t redo your kitchen or just do things that are outside the scope of making your home more resilient,\u201d Sturm said.<\/p>\n To be eligible, homeowners must:<\/p>\n Finally, if you live in an area that\u2019s at high risk for flooding, you have the option to sell your home to the city and move through the city\u2019s Resilient Acquisitions <\/a>program. This summer, the Mayor\u2019s Office of Climate & Environmental Justice began expanding outreach to new areas of Queens to gauge resident interest, although money isn\u2019t available <\/a>for buyouts just yet.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n
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