Statement from Speaker Corey Johnson, Chair of Committee on Resiliency and Waterfronts Justin Brannan, Chair of Committee on Environmental Protection James F. Gennaro, and Chair of Committee on Transportation Ydanis Rodriguez

 

Re: Flooding from Hurricane Ida

  “What happened on Wednesday raises several urgent questions, including why we weren’t better prepared for an anticipated storm. The City Council will hold an oversight hearing on September 14, at 10 a.m. to get answers on the MTA and the City’s preparation and response to the catastrophic flooding from Hurricane Ida. We know climate change is an unavoidable factor at this point, so at the very least, we need an infallible plan to warn and protect New Yorkers for the storms to come.

The Council has been and continues to be committed to addressing the climate crisis. In 2019, we passed the Climate Mobilization Act, the most ambitious and innovative package of bills any major city has ever considered to combat the existential threat of climate change. We also put out a transit report, Let’s Go: A Case for Municipal Control and a Comprehensive Transportation Vision for the Five Boroughs, which highlighted the need for New York City to prioritize green infrastructure in transportation projects. In 2020, we went on to release a 189-page report, Securing Our Future: Strategies for New York City in the Fight Against Climate Change, outlining recommendations to aggressively fight this crisis.

That said, given the scope and urgency of the matter, there is always more to do, and clearly we must take these initiatives even further. Not only does the future of our City and planet depend on it, but the immediate impact on New Yorkers’ lives is at stake.”