Rockaway Homeowner's Guide to Preparing for Flooding

Welcome! This guide contains a set of resources that can help a homeowner plan what they want to do to prepare their home for flooding and how they can make their plan happen. The guide takes you through 7 sections; Understanding and Predicting Flooding, Flood Maps, Emergency Preparations, Flood Insurance, The Costs of Flooding, How to Reduce Damage Costs, Decision Steps, and Financing and Organizing. The 'Decision Steps' section is a summary of the key steps in planning for flooding, while the earlier sections provide information needed to understand each step. You can scroll to read through each section or click on one of the section tabs above. Most sections are followed by a "Resource Center," which includes links to additional resources. While a household can use the resources in this guide on their own, you may find it helpful to use this material as a starting point for conversations with others in your community both to help you understand the material in this guide and because it may be helpful to you to know what others in the community are planning to do as you consider your options.

Coastal flooding can occur due to storm tides and surges. A normal tide is the twice-daily rise and fall of water levels and a storm surge is the additional rise in water level mainly in response to wind. A storm tide is the combination of tide and storm surge. Storm tides and surges are impacted by sea-level rise which is the rise in the ocean level relative to land and is accelerated by climate change.

With historical data and computer models of the coastal ocean, we can understand and predict flooding. Flood forecasts use the ocean models with weather forecast data to predict water levels and flooding. Scientists use records from past storms and models to estimate the chance per year of flooding of various water depths. Projections help guide decisions, for example, by the NYC government.

This section presents maps that show 3 different types of floods in 2020 and, roughly 30 years later, in 2055 for the Rockaways. We show these floods now and in the future in order to help with planning ahead. If you are thinking about investing in reducing flood damages to your home, you may want to consider what the flood levels are likely to be in the future so that your investment continues to reduce flood damages over time. Flood levels will continue to rise from year to year as sea levels rise in response to the changing climate. Here we consider the time span of 30 years, a typical mortgage, as an example. You can find information about likely flood levels for other periods of time in some of the resources provided in the "Resource Center" at the end of this section.

We are showing you flood projections for 2055 that are for median projected sea level rise of 16 inches in 30 years. Actual sea level rise that takes place may be less than the median or it may be higher. Note that NYC uses high sea level rise projections, 30 inches in 30 years, for planning in order to be prepared for approximately the worst projected scenario.

The first flood that we show is the 1% annual chance flood, also known as the "100-year flood." There is a 1% chance that this or higher level of water will occur in any given year. The chance that one of these floods will occur in a span of 30 years is about one in four or 26%. The chance that it will occur in an 18-year span is one in six (roll of a die). The 1% annual chance flood determines the flood plain, which governs the Federal Emergency Management Agency's (FEMA) flood insurance requirements. The 1% annual chance flood is relatively rare but is severe, with extensive impacts, which will increase over time as sea levels rise.

The second type of flood shown is the 10% annual chance flood. There is a 10% chance that this or higher level of water will occur in any given year. The chance that one of these floods will occur in a span of 30 years is 62%. The 10% annual chance floods occur a lot more frequently than the 1% annual chance flood. They are less severe but can still have substantial impacts, and these more frequent impacts will become increasingly severe over time.

The last type of flood shown is the annual flood, which, as stated in its name, may occur, on average, once per year. These floods are the most frequent of the three types that we show. They have the smallest impacts, but again, the impacts will grow over time.

The three types of floods that we show are examples. Flooding may occur with other frequencies, less or more frequently than each of the example floods, and result in different flood levels.

We show the three different types of floods (1%, 10%, and annual) in two time periods (2020 & 2055) separately for three different sections of the Rockaway Peninsula: Far Rockaway/Bayswater, Edgemere/Arverne/Rockaway Beach, and Rockaway Park/Belle Harbor/Neponsit for a total of 18 maps, 6 for each section. Separating the maps by neighborhoods allows a more close-up look at the neighborhoods each viewer may be interested in. Pay attention to how the flood levels rise in each neighborhood over time.

Note that we are showing flood levels based on infrastructure that is in place as of 2021. These projections do not account for any infrastructure that NYC or the US Army Corps of Engineers may build in the future to reduce flood risk. There is not enough information about such plans to take them into account. We discuss this point further in the Decision Steps section.

For more information on current and advisory flood maps for New York City, click on the links below. You can search for your specific home address and find your flood zone. Note that flood maps for NYC are being contested. FEMA has revised the flood maps to reflect much higher future flood hazard than was shown on previous maps. NYC contested the methodology on the revised maps. The Preliminary Flood Insurance Rate Maps have been revised to respond to the objections and are going through the approval process.

NYC Flood Hazard Mapper:

FEMA’s Preliminary Flood Insurance Rate Maps:

The flood maps above are available for download below:

Flood and storm forecasts provide essential advance warning. Always refer to the National Weather Service official watches, warnings and advisories, at the following link.

For information that is more specific to the Rockaways, consider signing up for flood alerts from the Science and Resilience Institute's at Jamaica Bay Community Flood Watch project. You can sign up at this link.

The Stevens Institute of Technology Flood Advisory System provides detailed flood forecasts for the NY/NJ Harbor region at the following link.

Remember that it is not possible to forecast flood conditions with 100% certainty. Every flood forecast presents conditions that will occur with some probability. Consider making decisions that will avoid the risk of a bad outcome. If the forecasted conditions do not happen, it does not mean that the forecast was wrong. It just means that a high probability outcome did not occur.

Evacuation ahead of dangerous conditions will be much easier and it'll be more likely that you will be able to evacuate in time if you prepare ahead of time. Make a plan for where you can go and how you will get there. Practice actually getting there with all the supplies that you will need. Keep the supplies that you will need ready in a 'go bag,' including copies of important documents and essential medications in waterproof containers, emergency food and water. The New York City Office of Emergency Management has a lot of resources that can guide you through planning for evacuation and through preparing a go bag (click on 'Gather supplies' on the 'Get prepared' website for a list of 'go bag' items) at the following links.

If the area where you live is under an official evacuation recommendation, you are in danger if you remain in your home. Again, no forecast can be made with certainty. Forecasted conditions may not occur, but consider that you should be prepared for what your family will have to cope with if they do occur.

Consider safeguarding important items that are difficult to replace. Keep originals and/or copies of all important documents and your essential medications in waterproof containers well above the highest possible flood level in your home. You may want to do the same with your photos and cherished valuables. Have a supply of emergency food and water, flashlights, batteries, etc also above highest possible flood level. The information provided by NYC OEM at the links in the previous section can help you make these decisions. Do you have life saving equipment that requires access to power? See information in the 'How to reduce damage costs' section about emergency power sources.

This section will help you understand flood insurance and what is and is not covered.

For more information on elevation certificates and how to obtain one, click on the link below:

To learn more about flood insurance, click on the link below:

To learn more about what is and is not covered under FEMA flood insurance, click on the link below:

To learn more about Risk Rating 2.0 and what has not changed under the new approach, click on the link below:

To learn more about FEMA's myths and facts about flood insurance, click on the link below:

Knowing how high the water might get how often (see Flood Maps section) is important, but two other pieces of information are more directly relevant for a homeowner:

1. How much water can I expect at my home and how often? How much water you can expect depends on your location and the elevation of your home. You can find projected water levels at your address on the maps above or from some of the resources at the end of this section. An elevation certificate is a great investment to help you make informed decisions.
2. How much should I expect to pay out in recovery costs given projections of future flooding? Knowing the likely expense associated with recovery from flooding can help to decide how much to invest in protecting the home from flooding. Protecting the home can prevent some or all of those future recovery costs.  

Below we consider how an example family may decide if and how to protect their home. Each homeowner's case is different, and the first step in understanding your case is to know the elevation of your home and the expected water levels at your address.

Let's imagine the Taylor family. They live in a single-family home that they own. Let's put the Taylors' hypothetical home at 415 Beach 72nd. The home has 2 floors, a basement, and a yard. The Taylors have small twins. They are beginning to worry about the risk of flooding at their home. How might the Taylors think about whether they should invest to protect their home from flooding?

First, the Taylors may want to understand how much water they can expect at their home and how often. A few definitions will be helpful to them.

The elevation of the lowest occupied floor in the home is important for understanding the likely impact of flooding on the home. The lowest occupied floor is the basement if the home has a basement and the first floor otherwise. NAVD88 in the graphic above is what we think of as sea level. We will talk about the elevation of the lowest floor above sea level. We will also talk about the elevation of the flood water above sea level. The height of the 1% annual chance flood is known as Base Flood Elevation (BFE). As we discussed in the previous section, BFE relative to the elevation of the lowest occupied floor is important for determining whether a home requires flood insurance and the cost of that insurance. New York City (NYC) also uses the term Design Flood Elevation (DFE), which is 2 feet above BFE. The City regulations require new construction to place living areas at DFE or above. Using DFE rather than BFE to govern new construction is a way of taking into account uncertainty about flood projections.

The graphic above shows the Taylors' home. The height of water that the Taylors can expect in their house depends on the location (415 Beach 72nd) and the elevation of the house. The basement floor (the lowest occupied floor in the house) is at half a foot above sea level, while their entrance and first floor are at 7 feet above sea level. Using the same example floods as in our flood maps, the graphic shows how high the floods will reach in the Taylors' home. Now, the annual flood doesn't threaten the home. The 10% annual chance flood just reaches the first floor, so it will flood the basement, but may not flood the first floor. The 1% annual chance flood fills the basement with water and covers the first floor with about 3 feet of water. BFE is 9.5 feet above the lowest occupied floor so, if the home has a federal backed mortgage, the Taylors will have to buy flood insurance.

The flood levels will rise over time, as sea levels rise. So if the Taylors are going to invest in protecting their home beyond buying flood insurance, they may want to plan for likely future water levels so that their investment lasts. About 30 years from now, the annual flood may still not reach the home, since it rises 3 inches above the ground, which is at 6 feet. However, both the 10% and the 1% annual chance floods, and therefore any flood less frequent than a flood that happens on average once every ten years, fills the basement and covers the first floor in 1 to 4 feet of water. In fact, floods that are less frequent than annual but more frequent than 10% annual chance start to flood the basement and potentially the first floor at some point between now and 30 years from now.

The research team collected data on recovery from Hurricane Sandy in the Rockaways. From those data, we know how much home owners paid out to recover after the storm and we know how much water they had in their homes. We use the data together with flood projections to understand how much the Taylors can expect to pay out in recovery costs if they do not invest in protecting their home over two future time horizons, 15 years and 30 years. The amounts below are the total costs that the Taylors can expect over 15 years and over 30 years.

• Over the next 15 years: $450,000 on average (Range: $120,000 – $950,000)
• Over the next 30 years: $1,700,000 on average (Range: $570,000 - $2,700,000)

The recovery costs that the Taylors can expect have a range because we can't know for sure what flooding in the future will look like. The range communicates uncertainty in the future flood projections.

Here we illustrate how the costs that the Taylors can expect can reach the astronomical sum of $1,700,000, much more than their house is worth, over 30 years. Remember that we are considering the case in which the Taylors do not invest to protect their home. Rather they spend money to recover from each flood.

The costs arise because of repetitive flood damages. As sea levels rise, high frequency floods reach progressively higher levels and cause more and more damage.

We do not know what floods will occur over the next 30 years. The table to the upper left shows one possible 30-year future. In this example, 7 floods occur that have a 33% chance of occurring in any one year - they occur on average every three years. Each of these floods fills the Taylors' basement, causing $60,000 worth of damage. This is the average amount of damage for 5-6 feet of water in the home in our survey data. In addition, 5 floods occur that have a 20% chance of happening in any one year - they occur on average every 5 years. In the later part of the 30-year period, these less frequent floods not only fill the basement with water but also cause damage to the first floor. Finally, 3 floods occur that have a 10% chance of happening in any year. These floods fill the basement and cause damage to the first floor. Over the 30 years, the damages add up to about $1,700,000.

Note that no catastrophic, 1% annual chance per year or even more severe, floods occur in our example 30-year future. The costs are not the result of catastrophic floods that have a small chance of happening, but rather the result of regular, repetitive flooding. Most Rockaway residents have not yet experienced such repetitive flooding, but this is what a future with sea level rise will increasingly look like.

There are a number of costs that go into $60,000 worth of damages including:

• Replacing utilities, appliances, electric panel: $15,000 - $30,000
• Mold removal: $5,000 - $10,000
• Structural damage caused for example by water filling the basement
• Replacing a basement bathroom
• Exterior damage
• Vehicle replacement/damage
• Legal costs

Stepping aside from the Taylor family example, let's consider the average future recovery costs for homes in the Rockaways by elevation of the lowest floor in the home. See the table to the right to find the expected cost for the elevation of the lowest floor in your home. The owner of a home whose lowest floor is at 0 feet above sea level, can expect average recovery costs of $2,800,000 over the next 30 years if the owner does not invest in flood protection. The owner of a home whose lowest floor is at 1.6 feet can expect to spend $1,500,000 on average, etc. If your lowest floor is between these elevations, your expected costs are somewhere in-between these amounts. The average costs decline sharply with elevation.

The recovery costs that we have been discussing in this section are total costs. A home owner who has flood insurance can expect to spend about half of the amount out of their own pocket, based on how survey respondents reported financing recovery after Hurricane Sandy. Flood insurance does not typically cover all incurred costs.

The Taylors would incur the costs that we discussed in the previous section if they do not invest in reducing future flood damages. They have the option to reduce those future costs. In this section, we discuss what the Taylors can do to reduce flood damages, how much each action would save them in future recovery costs, and how much each action might cost. Keep in mind that the amount that each action will save depends on the elevation of the lowest occupied floor in the home. The higher the lowest floor is, the lower the savings from each action. The table below presents a summary of the actions that any home owner can take to reduce flood recovery costs. Some of these actions can lower your insurance premium.

In the following sections, we will discuss what might be an effective course of action for the Taylors. We begin with the actions that offer big savings, and then we discuss the lower cost actions that offer smaller benefits. Your situation may be different, but you are likely to benefit from going through the same decision process as we discuss below.

Raising mechanicals involves moving equipment like boilers, hot water heaters, and electrical utilities to higher ground, ideally above the base flood elevation.

This action may reduce insurance premiums by a very small amount.

The graphic above summarizes the benefits and costs of raising mechanicals for the Taylors. The example is based on the assumption that the Taylors raise the mechanicals from the basement to DFE (2 feet above BFE), which requires putting them on the second floor or in a raised structure outside the house. The cost of raising mechanicals ranges from $5,000-$40,00, which is a wide range, but the savings for the Taylors are on average $130,00 over 15 years and on average $500,000 over 30 years. So the savings are much larger than the largest possible cost. However, the action addresses a relatively small percentage of the total recovery costs for the Taylors, leaving an average recovery cost of $1,200,000 over 30 years.

Note that NYC has revised zoning regulations to facilitate actions designed to reduce flood damages. Under the new regulations, you may be able to put the mechanicals outside and you may be able to replace lost space in the house if you move them to the second floor.

Wet floodproofing the basement involves filling the basement, with gravel, cement, earth or another material, to the lowest adjacent ground level and installing flood vents. Flood vents are pathways that allow water to enter unoccupied spaces of a home, like a basement or crawl space, and flow back out without causing structural damage. Floodproofing the basement requires removing everything from the basement, so it would require raising any mechanicals that may be in the basement. The remaining space that is not filled should be left unfinished, using mold resistant materials.

Floodproofing the basement may reduce insurance premiums. The size of the reduction depends on whether or not the action raises the lowest occupied floor of the house, which is the first floor after the basement is filled, above BFE.

As the graphic above shows, wet floodproofing the basement saves the great majority of the future recovery costs that the Taylors face if they do not prepare their home. The cost of floodproofing ranges from $8,500-$30,000, but spending that money can save them much more, on average $434,000 over 15 years and on average $1,631,000 over 30 years. This would leave remaining recovery costs at an average of $69,000 over 30 years. The investment will not have a big effect on the insurance premium because the first floor of the house, which becomes the lowest occupied floor after the basement is wet floodproofed, is below BFE.

For homes whose basement floors are higher than is the Taylors,' wet floodproofing the basement can save even all of the future recovery costs as well as potentially substantially lower insurance premiums.

As noted above, NYC has changed zoning regulations, and in general homeowners can now add space to their homes to recover space lost to floodproofing up to the DFE. The additional space will not raise taxes as long as it does not expand the square footage of living space. Space lost to floodproofing is not considered living space.

Wet floodproofing the first floor would make the second floor the living quarters. Areas below the second floor can be used for storage (of things that will not be damaged by flooding), parking, or access.

Wet floodproofing the first floor involves:

1) Leaving the first floor unfinished, using mold resistant materials, and adding flood vents

2) Filling in basement or crawlspace to the lowest adjacent ground and adding flood vents and

3) Raising the mechanicals

Wet floodproofing the first floor secures the house against future flood damage, most likely eliminating future recovery costs associated with flood damages to the house. While the cost of the action is substantially larger than the cost of wet floodproofing the basement, the expected benefits are much larger than the costs. The cost of abandoning the 1st floor can range from $10,000-$100,000 or more, but spending that money can save the Taylors on average $450,000 over 15 years and on average $1,700,000 over 30 years, leaving the remaining recovery costs at $0 over 30 years. The action raises the lowest occupied floor to the second floor, which is at 14 feet or higher, resulting in a very large reduction to the insurance premium, because it raises the lowest occupied floor above BFE.

Again, the new zoning regulations allow the homeowner to build up to recover lost space.

Elevating the home involves physically raising the home and placing it on a new, higher foundation. The most critical step to elevating the structure is the construction of a new foundation.

Areas below the lowest occupied floor are only used for building access, storage of items that will not get damaged in flooding, and parking. Areas below DFE that are not filled in should have flood vents and should be left unfinished, using mold resistant materials. Mechanicals need to be raised, ideally above the DFE.

Raising the home significantly reduces the insurance premium for homes whose lowest occupied floor is below BFE. 

The benefits of elevating the house are similar to those of wet floodproofing the first floor. The difference is that elevating the house to DFE leaves the lowest occupied floor somewhat lower than does floodproofing the first floor; therefore there may be remaining future recovery costs up to $57,000 in an extreme future scenario. Average remaining future recovery costs are zero. The benefits are much larger than the potentially large costs. The homeowner can expect a very large reduction in the insurance premium.

Dry floodproofing is approved by FEMA and the City of NY for non-residential and mixed use buildings only because of potential, serious dangers that need to be taken into account in implementing it. The option involves sealing exterior walls and using removable barriers on all openings below the base flood elevation (doors, windows) to prevent water from entering the building. The homeowner needs to place the barriers ahead of each predicted flood event. Some of the dangers and considerations include: building collapse from pressure of floodwaters on a sealed structure, getting trapped inside with rising waters, costly maintenance.

The benefits and costs of this action are difficult to estimate since the effectiveness of the protection depends on whether and how the homeowner installs the barriers ahead of each flood event, and whether dry floodproofing is done safely. Be sure to work with a well-qualified engineer if you choose this option.

Note that elevating the lowest occupied floor of a home to or above the Design Flood Elevation is widely recognized as a best practice. Depending on the elevation of the lowest occupied floor in the home, this can be accomplished by wet floodproofing the basement, wet floodproofing the first floor, or elevating the structure. For homes whose first floors are sufficiently high above sea level, wet floodproofing the basement is the most affordable of these three options.

Initially, you may want to invest in low-cost preparations, while you gather information and plan potential, bigger investments. If your lowest floor is high enough, lower cost steps may be enough.

Backwater valve

A backwater valve on pipes prevents sewer overflow caused by flooding from entering the home, protecting your family's health. The FloodHelpNY website states, "A backwater valve connects to your home’s plumbing and features an internal mechanism called the “flapper.” In the event of sewer overflow, the flapper closes to help protect your home from filling with raw sewage,” and “When the overflow subsides, the change in pressure releases the flapper, allowing wastewater to flow from your home and into the sewer.”  Find more information about a backwater valve at this website:

Mold and water resistant materials

Use flood-proof materials in flood-prone locations. For example: tile (terrazzo) instead of carpeto, non-paper-faced gypsum board, flood-proof cabinets, metal instead of wood. You can find more information in some of the additional resources listed at the end of the section.

Coping with electricity and network outages

Consider obtaining a generator, which you can place outside, above BFE, screened. You can also consider mobile solar power stations, perhaps shared with others in your community.

You have the option of participating in a local internet network (mesh network) by placing a small device that can send and receive a Wi-Fi signal on a rooftop or other area. However, such a network requires electricity.

We have been focusing on single-family homes. There is guidance for protecting all types of structures, and much of it is quite similar. Of course, more collaboration with other homeowners is required when you share a wall with someone else's home. See more specific guidance in the NYC Department of City Planning (DCP), Retrofitting Buildings for Flood Risk. We have included the link to this guide in the next section, the 'Resource Center.'

Click on the following links for additional information about actions that homeowners can take to reduce flood recovery costs, costs of those actions, and other considerations.

FEMA, Homeowner’s Guide to Retrofitting 2014:

FEMA, Reducing Flood Risk to Residential Buildings That Cannot Be Elevated:

FEMA, Flood Damage-Resistant Materials Requirements:

NYC Department of City Planning (DCP), Retrofitting Buildings for Flood Risk, Chapters 3 and 4:

Documents under the 'DCP Resources' tab at the bottom of the following web page:

FloodHelpNY guidance on home retrofits:

In this section, we highlight the key steps that you may want to take in the process of deciding whether you want to invest in reducing flood damages to your home and, if so, then how. The figure below outlines the key steps, and then we discuss each of them briefly. We touch on one important point that we haven't yet considered - how to take into account the effect of possible flood protections that the City of NY may build.

The first and simplest step is to check whether or not your house is in a high-risk flood zone. You may know your zone according to current flood maps, but recall that the maps are changing. New maps should be approved some time within the next few years. You can see your likely zone according to new maps if you look at the 'Advisory Maps' (box in upper right-hand corner of map) on FloodHelpNY map or 'Preliminary Flood Insurance Rate Maps 2015' on NYC Flood Hazard Mapper (see links at the end of 'Flood Maps' section). If you're in the high-risk zone on the new maps, you will be required to purchase flood insurance if you have a federally backed mortgage. Remember also that flood hazard is growing over time. If you're not in a high-risk zone on the new maps, you may want to look at the map for the 2050's in the 'Flood Maps' section or on the NYC Flood Hazard Mapper to plan ahead.

Whether or not you're in a high-risk zone on the new maps, you may want to consider getting an elevation certificate. The certificate is not required. However, it can help you to: (1) make sure you're getting the lowest possible insurance rate, and (2) make decisions about protecting your home. If your certificate shows that the lowest floor of your house is below the Design Flood Elevation (2 feet above Base Flood Elevation), then you may want to consider whether it makes sense for you to take action to protect your home. You may want to keep in mind the NYC Building Code when making the decision, see the box on the right.

Once you know the elevation of your lowest floor, you can use the table at the end of the 'Costs of Flooding' section, in the subsection 'Damage costs across the Rockaways,' to get a rough idea of how much you can expect to spend in recovery costs if you do not invest in protecting your home. If your elevation is between the elevations listed in the table, your costs are between the costs associated with the next lower and next higher elevations.

Next you may wish to consider for what time horizon and water level you want to prepare. How long do you expect that you or your family will continue to live in your current home? The longer your time horizon, the higher are the water levels that you should consider. How risk averse are you? Do you want to be prepared for median projections of sea level rise or less likely but more damaging high projections? You may also think about what protections the City of NY or the US Army Corps may build that may reduce flooding at your house. There is no easy guidance on this as public investment in protections is very uncertain. Here are a few points to consider. (1) If it is financed, any significant protection, such as a gate across the mouth of Jamaica Bay will take a very long time to complete even once building begins. You should plan for at least 10 years without such protection. (2) If the gate is built, it most likely will only be closed for severe, low frequency events, such as the 1% annual chance flood or worse. If you are confident that the gate will be built, you may consider protecting your home against less severe, higher frequency floods. (3) You may want to consider the future of the Rockaways as a whole when determining your time horizon. Will there be sufficient investment to maintain functioning services, businesses, and communities as flooding worsens? Your guess is as good as anyone's at this point.

Which damage reducing actions will achieve your protection goal over your time horizon? If your time horizon is short and/or your expected damaged are low, perhaps low cost investments such as sum pump and tiles or other floodproof materials in the lower parts of the home are sufficient.

If you need a larger investment to lower your expected costs of recovery, the Taylors' example can provide a rule of thumb. If you have a basement and your first floor is above the Design Flood Elevation, then wet floodproofing the basement should reduce your average future expected damages to zero. This action for you would be equivalent to the example of elevating the home for the Taylors. The closer that your first floor is to DFE, the more of your future expected damages you will eliminate by wet floodproofing the basement. The Taylors' first floor is 5 feet below DFE, and wet floodproofing the basement reduces their expected future recovery costs by 96%. Keep in mind that new zoning regulations allow you to replace lost space.

The general principle is: wet floodproof areas below DFE to the extent that you can afford.

You may need to revise how much protection you want to achieve based on what you can afford several times until you arrive at the right solution for you. The next section has some resources that you can explore for helping to finance your investment.

Once you have found the right action for you, make sure that you review the relevant regulations before proceeding - see the box above in this section. When you are ready to move forward, be sure to speak with your flood insurance agent about potential effects of your investment on your insurance premium, and identify a qualified engineer/contractor.

Financing for actions to reduce flood damages to homes is limited right now but there is a lot of work going on to expand these options. Now is a good time to plan what you want to do to reduce damages and to do what you can to advocate that the City of NY and the state of NY expand financing options. If you have a plan ready to go, you'll be first in line when new financing becomes available.

FEMA is the main source of resources, and FEMA funding has to go through the state of NY. Accessing this funding is one among many reasons why communities should organize to prepare for flooding. If homeowners and/or renters join together in a community organization, that organization can then work with the NYC Mayor's Office of Climate and Environmental Justice and the New York State Governor’s Office of Storm Recovery to apply for FEMA funding. Links to relevant additional information are in the 'Resource Center' at the end of this section.

An increasing number of non-profits are offering help with financing community efforts to prepare for climate change in general and flooding in particular. We list the main national non-profits and local, NYC ones in the 'Resource Center' below.

Accessing financing is only one reason for communities to organize around preparing for flooding. How much you want to invest in reducing flood damages in your home is likely to depend on what the rest of your community will look like in the future:

• Will there be access to well functioning services such as transportation, schools, health facilities, police, fire department, sanitation as flooding worsens?
• What will other residents do? Will people prepare and stay or move out? Will others move in or will some communities be hollowed out?
• Will there be enough businesses to sustain good quality of life?

The more Rockaway communities organize and work together to plan the future, the better that future will be. We have included a flood planning document from Miami, FL in the 'Resource Center' as one example of how communities are tackling the challenge elsewhere.

Description of FEMA funding for retrofitting homes to reduce flood damages:

FEMA, Homeowner’s Guide to Retrofitting 201, Section 2.6, pp. 2-16: 

and FEMA website:

Non-profits that may be able to assist with financing action to reduce flood damages:

Anthropocene Alliance:

Justice40 Accelerator:

Non-profits in NYC:

Flood resilience plan for Miami, FL:

The guide was prepared by the team of the "Enabling Rockaway Homeowners to Prepare for Coastal Flooding" project, based on workshop materials developed in collaboration with several community groups in the Rockaways. We gratefully acknowledge funding from the NOAA COCA/SARP program grant #NA19OAR4310311 and NOAA RISA funding for the Consortium for Climate Risk in the Urban Northeast grants #NA15OAR4310147 and NA20OAR4310147A.