Flood Sensors to Support NYC Real-Time Flood Monitoring, Response

Currently in a pilot phase — with three sensors deployed in areas of Gowanus, Brooklyn that are at risk of stormwater flooding, and four sensors deployed in Hamilton Beach, Queens and the Rockaway peninsula, neighborhoods surrounding Jamaica Bay that are prone to coastal flooding — FloodNet delivered valuable, real-time data during recent flood events associated with Henri and Ida. 

·  The FloodNet sensors recorded flash floods in Gowanus in real-time and with high resolution 

·  They provided a rich data set including flood depth and profile over time. For example, during Tropical Storm Henri, the sensors recorded two distinct flood events on the same night separated by an hour where the water receded. 

·  During Ida, the sensors recorded up to 3 feet of flooding in one location, with flood waters rising quickly, peaking within 20 minutes, creating extremely hazardous conditions.

·  The FloodNet alert system generates emails and Telegram app messages at the detection of a flood that exceeds 3 inches, and there are early indications that these warnings were received prior to warnings from other city detection systems.

Developed by researchers at NYU Tandon’s Center for Urban Science and Progress (CUSP) and the CUNY Advanced Science Research Center (ASRC), with the support of the C2SMART University Transportation Center at NYU Tandon and the CUNY Office of Research, and in partnership with the NYC Mayor’s Office of Climate Resiliency (MOCR),  NYC Mayor’s Office of the Chief Technology Officer (NYC CTO), and the Science and Resilience Institute at Jamaica Bay, the FloodNet sensors can detect flood depths as low as 0.5 inches. Given the hyper-local and distributed nature of urban flooding, the sensors were designed to be affordably built and easy to install, to allow deployment of a large, distributed sensor network. Additionally, the sensors are:

·  Flexible for multiple use cases and scenarios (not requiring power or connectivity infrastructure) 

·  Easy to construct with a simple open-source design (allowing community participation in construction and deployment)

·  Accessible via open-source firmware, software, and hardware design files publicly available online at a github repository

The consortium will soon incorporate a realtime dashboard on its online interface at FloodNet.nyc, to integrate, store, and disseminate sensor data and other flood-related data streams (including community-reported flood events, rainfall data, 311 complaints, and related social media posts) to a range of stakeholders, including community members, city agencies, researchers, weather forecasters, and reporters. Development of the data portal is supported by a grant from the New York State Empire State Development Corporation.

“This project is a direct result of frequent and long-term dialogue with communities and city agencies about the tools and resources needed to better respond to the challenges of sea level rise, coastal storms and extreme rainfall events,” said Brett Branco, Director of the Science and Resilience Institute at Jamaica Bay. “Along with other sources of information about flooding, these flood sensors can help guide resilience projects that protect people and infrastructure from future hazards.”

The team plans to deploy additional sensors in other flood-prone neighborhoods in the coming months.