ERIC JANKIEWICZ
Homeowners in New York City can now turn to a new source on how to protect their homes against Sandy-like storms. The city’s Department of Environmental Protection released a new guide Tuesday to help homeowners protect their properties and valuables against flooding from heavy rainfall and sewer backups.
In the department’s three-page guide, “Homeowner’s Guide to Flood Preparedness,” homeowners can find information about flooding problems and tips on prevention. While the illustrated guide provides many useful tips for homeowners, it wouldn’t help with extreme flooding that many communities in the city were hit by during Superstorm Sandy.
The guide can be found on the city’s website, www.nyc.gov.
Some of the issues addressed in the guide are installing check valves to prevent sewer backup, using barriers to block water from flowing into low-lying driveways and installing proper roof drainages.
“One of the consequences we are already seeing from climate change is an increase in the frequency and intensity of rain events that can result in flash flooding in low-lying areas of New York City,” the department’s Commissioner Emily Lloyd said in a statement. “However, there are steps homeowners can take that will help prevent flooding and this new guide is full of important information that will help New Yorkers protect their properties.”
The new flood preparedness guide was rolled out Monday at a meeting of nearly 300 members of the Empowered Queens United in Action and Leadership (EQUAL) organization at St. Catherine of Sienna Catholic Church in Saint Albans. The organization is made up of congregations located in southeast Queens, Sunnyside and Woodside. It was formed to empower community members to get directly involved in efforts to improve the quality of life in their communities.
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