Monday, September 9, 2024
Governor Hochul Signs Legislation and Launches New Awareness Campaign to Prevent Suicide and Promote Mental Health
The Student Lifeline Act Requires State’s 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline To Be Printed on College Student ID Cards
$5 Million Campaign Will Raise Awareness of 988 Across Social Media, Streaming Services, TV and College Campuses
New State Actions Take Place During National Suicide Prevention Month
Governor Kathy Hochul today signed legislation and announced a new statewide, multimedia campaign to help prevent suicide and promote mental health. Legislation S1865B/A6563A — the Student Lifeline Act — requires colleges across New York State to print information about the State’s 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline on all student ID cards. In conjunction with Suicide Prevention Month in September, the Governor and the State’s Office of Mental Health launched a $5 million campaign to raise awareness of 988, which is free, confidential, impartial, and can be accessed any time of the day or night by phone, text, or chat.
“The 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline means that help is always available, whether it’s for someone experiencing a mental health or substance use crisis or who knows someone needing this assistance,” Governor Hochul said. “As we recognize Suicide Prevention Month, we must ensure all New Yorkers are aware of this critical resource and are willing to use it whenever they or someone they know needs help.”
The Student Lifeline Act, sponsored by Senator Samra Brouk and Assembly Member Sarah Clark, requires all college student ID cards in New York to contain information about the 988 Lifeline by 2025. Under this law, colleges must also provide resources to students describing when to utilize the 988 number. Any colleges that do not issue ID cards will still be required to distribute the 988 information annually to students through other materials.
Led by the State’s Office of Mental Health, New York’s statewide $5 million public awareness campaign will feature the slogan, ‘We Hear You,’ and is aimed at encouraging more New Yorkers to use the State’s 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline whenever they or someone they know is experiencing a mental health or substance use crisis. Ads will be featured on multiple platforms, including social media; billboards, signage on college campuses and at events; during sporting events; on traditional television and radio; and on other digital platforms, such as streaming music and video services.
The campaign will include several ads that focus on distinct populations that could benefit from 988 but had lower recognition of this service in focus groups. This includes first-responders and health care professionals; school-aged youth and college students; and Black, Latina and LGBTQ+ individuals.
Supported in all 62 counties statewide, 988 provides a connection to trained crisis counselors who can help anyone thinking about suicide, struggling with substance use, experiencing a mental health crisis, or any other kind of emotional distress to receive personal support, get immediate help and connect with follow up services. The service is free, confidential, impartial, and can be accessed 24 hours a day and seven days per week.
Governor Hochul's FY 2024 Enacted Budget significantly expanded the capacity of 988 Crisis Contact Centers by boosting funding for them from $35 million to $60 million per year. More than 478,388 calls and 75,661 texts and chats were directly routed to New York 988 Crisis Contact Centers since 2022, including nearly 77,000 calls coming from former service members that connected directly via 988’s dedicated Veteran’s Crisis Line.
September is recognized nationally as Suicide Prevention Month, dedicated to promoting awareness, education and action to prevent suicide. The recognition honors the lives lost to suicide, supports the survivors of suicide loss, and reinforces New York State’s commitment to mental health and wellness for all.
Suicide claimed the lives of more than 1,700 individuals in New York in 2022. It is the second leading cause of death among individuals between the age of 25 and 34, and the third leading cause of death for youth and young adults between the age of 10 and 24.
Earlier this year, the State provided five conditional awards totaling $15 million over five years to help community-based service providers to develop innovative programs that will help reduce suicide risk among youth from historically underserved populations. The funding through the Connecting Youth to Mental Health Supports program will help develop programs and suicide prevention strategies among racial and ethnic minority populations and LGBTQ+ groups, including those in rural areas.
The State also reconvened the Suicide Prevention Task Force with a goal of building upon the recommendation made by its predecessor. These recommendations included strengthening public health approaches, enhancing health system competencies, improving data surveillance methods, and infusing cultural competency in the State’s suicide prevention strategy.
Last year, the State began a five-year $10 million effort funded through the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration to address mental and behavioral health problems among youth, with the goal of ensuring equitable access to underserved populations. In addition, OMH received a five-year, $3.5 million federal grant to expand the Zero Suicide model — a systemic approach toward integrating suicide prevention in the health care system — among 13 Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinics.
In addition to these initiatives, the Suicide Prevention Center of New York, which is housed at OMH, provides technical assistance to advance the State’s prevention efforts and offers free resources that are available by request. The center also conducts extensive training, with nearly 194,000 New Yorkers completing suicide-specific course material since 2018.
The center developed the CARES UP Initiative, a prevention effort aimed at fostering a supportive environment among uniformed personnel where mental health is prioritized. The $3 million OMH-funded initiative provided grants to 13 agencies to enhance suicide prevention efforts and wellness programs for first responders and military veterans.
Attorney General James and New York State Police Announce Conviction of Contractor for Stealing More Than $230,000 from Western New York Homeowners
Nathaniel Wagner Sentenced to Four to Eight Years in Prison
New York Attorney General Letitia James and State Police Superintendent Steven G. James announced the conviction and sentencing of Nathaniel Wagner, 42, of Newfane, NY, for operating a residential contracting fraud scheme in Niagara County. From December 2019 to July 2022, Wagner stole more than $230,000 from over a dozen homeowners throughout Niagara County by taking large up-front deposits and spending the money on personal expenses – including on personal investments, Apple products, and groceries – instead of doing any work for those who hired him. Wagner previously pleaded guilty to Grand Larceny in the Third Degree and Scheme to Defraud in the First Degree and today was sentenced to four to eight years in prison.
“When fraudulent contractors steal from those who hire them, they put New Yorkers’ homes and finances at serious risk,” said Attorney General James. “Instead of performing the home repairs he was hired to do, Nathaniel Wagner pocketed hundreds of thousands of dollars of his clients’ deposits and then strung them along for months and even years as he spent their money on himself. I thank the State Police and our partners in law enforcement for their work to secure this conviction, which sends a clear message that anyone who preys on New York homeowners with fraudulent schemes will be brought to justice.”
“I want to thank the Attorney General’s Office for their strong partnership that has led to the conviction of Mr. Wagner,” said New York State Police Superintendent Steven G. James. “This individual perpetuated a devious scheme to cheat homeowners out of their hard-earned money for promised contracting work he failed to perform. The State Police continues to support our partners in investigating and apprehending individuals willing to take advantage of others.”
Today’s conviction is the result of a joint investigation by the Office of the Attorney General’s (OAG) Criminal Enforcement and Financial Crimes Bureau (CEFC) and the New York State Police (NYSP). The investigation began in the spring of 2022 when OAG and NYSP received numerous complaints from homeowners in towns throughout Niagara County, including Lewiston, Lockport, Wilson, Newfane, Ransomville, North Tonawanda, and Niagara Falls. The investigation revealed that Wagner stole more than $230,000 from more than a dozen homeowners between December 2019 and July 2022. During that time, Wagner advertised his business, Wagner Built Construction, on Facebook by offering to build and install barns, garages, and decks.
Wagner solicited large, upfront deposits ranging from several thousand dollars to over $30,000 for home improvement work, but never performed the work, failed to deliver materials he claimed to have purchased with the deposits, and refused to issue refunds to homeowners. When confronted by homeowners who had paid him thousands of dollars and received nothing in return, Wagner gave long lists of excuses over a period of months and even years, including that his truck broke down and caught fire, he and his family members suffered from illnesses, there were permitting issues, there were issues with a foreman, he had too many jobs, he had dental issues, he had domestic issues, he had an injured worker, he had insurance issues, materials were delivered damaged, he needed additional money to purchase materials, and even that his phone was not working.
In one situation, when a homeowner became suspicious after his constant delays and excuses, Wagner went as far as creating fraudulent invoices to show fake purchases from a reputable business to conceal his theft. Wagner also attempted to calm upset customers by delivering minimal materials to their homes, which were often unusable or damaged, and then never returned to start construction work.
An audit conducted by OAG revealed that instead of using homeowners’ money to purchase materials or perform home improvements, Wagner quickly diverted the money for his own personal expenses. Wagner typically depleted homeowner deposits in a matter of days, primarily through ATM cash withdrawals of several thousand dollars at a time. Wagner also used homeowner deposits to pay over $90,000 in other expenses, including rental and mortgage insurance, car maintenance, and child support payments, as well as for purchases from Apple, eBay, Sunoco, Dollar General, Verizon, Frank’s Deli, 7-11, Exxon Mobile, Tops Market, and Frankie’s Pizza. Wagner also used homeowner deposits to send money via Zelle to family members, and to fund brokerage accounts at Robinhood, Interactive Brokers, and Berkshire Hathaway.
In April 2023, a Niagara County grand jury charged Wagner with 12 counts of Grand Larceny in the Third Degree (a Class D felony), two counts of Grand Larceny in the Second Degree (a Class E felony), and one count of Scheme to Defraud in the First Degree (a Class E felony). On March 8, 2024, he pleaded guilty before the Honorable Caroline Wojtaszek to Grand Larceny in the Third Degree and Scheme to Defraud in the First Degree. He was sentenced today to four to eight years in state prison and signed judgments in favor of his victims totaling $453,058.
Attorney General James thanks the NYSP, the Niagara County Sheriff’s Office, and the Niagara County District Attorney’s Office for their valuable assistance in this investigation.
Leaders of Transnational Terrorist Group Charged with Soliciting Hate Crimes, Soliciting the Murder of Federal Officials, and Conspiring to Provide Material Support to Terrorists
The Justice Department announced today that Dallas Humber, 34, of Elk Grove, California, and Matthew Allison, 37, of Boise, Idaho — leaders of the Terrorgram Collective, a transnational terrorist group — were charged with a 15-count indictment for soliciting hate crimes, soliciting the murder of federal officials, and conspiring to provide material support to terrorists. Humber and Allison were arrested on Friday by law enforcement officials.
“Today’s indictment charges the defendants with leading a transnational terrorist group dedicated to attacking America’s critical infrastructure, targeting a hit list of our country’s public officials, and carrying out deadly hate crimes — all in the name of violent white supremacist ideology,” said Attorney General Merrick B. Garland. “Today’s arrests are a warning that committing hate-fueled crimes in the darkest corners of the internet will not hide you, and soliciting terrorist attacks from behind a screen will not protect you. The United States Department of Justice will find you, and we will hold you accountable.”
“We allege that the leaders of Terrorgram charged today are a threat to public safety and the rule of law,” said Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco. “Using the Telegram platform, they advanced their heinous white supremacist ideology, solicited hate crimes, and provided guidance and instructions for terrorist attacks on critical infrastructure and assassinations of government officials. Today’s action reaffirms that the Department of Justice will not tolerate this alleged abhorrent conduct. It has no place in America or anywhere else. We will continue working with our law enforcement partners to identify, apprehend, and hold accountable anyone who engages in such activity, no matter where they are located.”
“These defendants are alleged to be the leaders of Terrorgram Collective, a transnational terrorist group that our investigation found is responsible for soliciting hate crimes and the murder of government officials and providing support to terrorists,” said FBI Director Christopher Wray. “Whether motivated by racial bias or antagonism toward government and societal norms, such behavior will not be tolerated. Terrorism is still the FBI’s number one priority, and working with our partners we are committed to investigating and holding accountable those who break the laws and assist violent actors in lethal plots.”
“Hate crimes fueled by bigotry and white supremacy, and amplified by the weaponization of digital messaging platforms, are on the rise and have no place in our society,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “This indictment charges the leaders of a transnational terrorist group with several civil rights violations, including soliciting others to engage in hate crimes and terrorist attacks against Black, immigrant, LGBT, and Jewish people. Make no mistake, as hate groups turn to online platforms, the federal government is adapting and responding to protect vulnerable communities. The Justice Department is committed to protecting the civil rights of all Americans, and we will resolutely strive to bring to justice those who seek to threaten, undermine, or extinguish it.”
“As alleged, Humber and Allison, the leaders of Terrorgram, conspired to provide material support and solicited attacks on federal officials and critical government infrastructure, including federal buildings and energy facilities,” said Matthew G. Olsen of the National Security Division. “Today’s charges demonstrate the Justice Department’s resolve to bring every available tool to bear in countering threats of violent extremists and protecting Americans.”
“The defendants solicited murders and hate crimes based on the race, religion, national origin, sexual orientation, and gender identity of others,” said U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert for the Eastern District of California. “They also doxed and solicited the murder of federal officials, conspired to provide material support to terrorists, and distributed information about explosives that they intended to be used in committing crimes of violence. My office will continue to work tirelessly with our partners in law enforcement and in the Justice Department to investigate and prosecute those who commit such violations of federal criminal law. I would like to thank the FBI and the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division and National Security Division for their partnership in support of the common mission to keep our people and public officials safe from hate-fueled crimes of violence.”
According to the indictment, which was unsealed today, Humber and Allison are the leaders of the Terrorgram Collective, a transnational terrorist group that operates on the digital messaging platform Telegram, where it promotes white supremacist accelerationism: an ideology centered on the belief that the white race is superior; that society is irreparably corrupt and cannot be saved by political action; and that violence and terrorism are necessary to ignite a race war and accelerate the collapse of the government and the rise of a white ethnostate.
The indictment alleges that Humber and Allison, as leaders of the Terrorgram Collective, contributed to and disseminated several Terrorgram videos and publications that provide specific advice for carrying out crimes, celebrate white supremacist attacks, and provide a hit list of “high-value targets” for assassination. The hit list included U.S. federal, state, and local officials, as well as leaders of private companies and non-governmental organizations, many of whom were targeted because of race, religion, national origin, sexual orientation, or gender identity.
Humber and Allison are alleged to have operated Terrorgram channels and group chats, where they solicited Terrorgram users to commit attacks in order to achieve Terrorgram’s goals of accelerationism and white supremacy and provided instructions and guidance to equip Terrorgram users to carry out those attacks. These attacks include but are not limited to:
- Bias-motivated attacks against those deemed by Terrorgram to be enemies of the white race;
- Terrorist attacks on government infrastructure, such as government buildings and energy facilities, which Terrorgram believes will ignite a race war and help accelerate the collapse of government and society; and
- Attacks on “high-value targets” — like politicians and government officials — whose murders Terrorgram believes would sow chaos and further accelerate the government’s downfall.
They also incited Terrorgram users to commit attacks in furtherance of white supremacist accelerationism, including the following individuals who were allegedly inspired or guided by Humber, Allison, and other members of the Terrorgram Collective to carry out attacks or were planning to do so when they were arrested by law enforcement:
- An individual who shot three people (killing two) outside of an LGBT bar in Slovakia;
- An individual who planned an attack on energy facilities in New Jersey; and
- An individual who stabbed five people near a mosque in Turkey.
The indictment charges Humber and Allison with a total of 15 counts, including one count of conspiracy, four counts of soliciting hate crimes, three counts of soliciting the murder of federal officials, three counts of doxing federal officials, one count of threatening communications, two counts of distributing bombmaking instructions, and one count of conspiring to provide material support to terrorists.
If convicted of all charges, Humber and Allison each face a maximum penalty of 220 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
The FBI Sacramento Field Office and FBI Salt Lake City Field Office, Boise Resident Agency, investigated the case, with assistance from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Idaho and a variety of foreign and domestic law enforcement agencies.
The Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division, National Security Division, and U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of California are prosecuting the case.
An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
MAYOR ADAMS ANNOUNCES NEXT GENERATION OF NEW YORK CITY’S INVESTMENTS IN FLOOD PREVENTION AND PREPARATION TO KEEP NEW YORKERS SAFE, PROTECT THEIR WALLETS
Administration Has Invested $1.2 Billion in Stormwater Flood Mitigation Efforts
Green Medians, Flood Sensors, Rain Gardens, Porous Pavement, Bluebelts, and Slotted Manhole Covers Are Being Implemented Citywide
To mark the third anniversary of Hurricane Ida, which brought the heaviest rainfall in New York City’s recorded history and tragically claimed the lives of 13 New Yorkers, New York City Mayor Eric Adams today updated New Yorkers on new and ongoing efforts to protect public safety and New Yorkers’ property by combating flooding and safeguarding the residents of New York City from the harmful and costly impacts of climate change. Since the start of this administration, the city has invested more than $1.2 billion in vital anti-stormwater flooding, public safety infrastructure in all five boroughs, ranging from traditional sewer upgrades to innovative green infrastructure solutions and more — and similar investments in anti-flooding infrastructure have been shown to prevent seven times as much damage as compared to the original investment.
Mayor Adams today celebrated milestones in five of these major public safety projects. The New York City Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) and New York City Department of Design and Construction (DDC) completed major sewer upgrades that tripled drainage capacity in College Point and doubled it in Maspeth, preventing that water from putting New Yorkers in danger or causing property damage. The city also, this week, installed its 200th flood sensor in Corona, Queens, putting the administration on track to reach Mayor Adams’ target of 500 flood sensors well ahead of schedule. Additionally, the city broke ground on its first Cloudburst project at the New York City Housing Authority’s (NYCHA) South Jamaica Houses, which will keep nearly 3.5 million gallons of stormwater out of the sewer system each year. Finally, DEP completed its transformation of three acres of concrete medians in Queens Village into subsurface drainage chambers, engineered rock and soil, ornamental grasses, and perennial wildflowers that can collectively manage 5 million gallons of stormwater that would otherwise contribute to flooding.
“Keeping New Yorkers safe is my most important responsibility — and that responsibility includes protecting New Yorkers from the clear and present danger to life and property that flooding poses,” said Mayor Adams. “Our investments in green and grey infrastructure, as well as flood preparedness, will save lives and prevent billions in property damage, particularly for low-income New Yorkers living in these low-lying areas who simply can’t afford to rebuild following flood after flood. I came into office with a clear focus on public safety and protecting New Yorkers’ wallets, and with climate change continuing to produce more intense and more frequent extreme weather, investments like these are a key part of our public safety and affordability strategies.”
“Fast and furious rainfall means New York City must be — and is being — skillfully creative on how we protect our city. That’s why we are making every square foot do double duty,” said Deputy Mayor for Operations Meera Joshi. “We’re turning New York into a sponge: small green patches are pretty and absorb gallons of stormwater, ponds and basketball courts provide recreation and hold massive amounts of rainwater, and porous pavement soaks in the water rather than letting it pool and flood. We are completing needed sewer upgrades to address pain points during massive storms like Ida and smaller ‘five-year’ storms that happen with increasing regularity. And we’re doubling down on education and information with FloodNet sensors — because while we make progress on these massive investments, flooding is very much an emergency, and we must protect lives now while we plan for the future.”
“We have no greater responsibility than to keep New Yorkers safe, and that requires making sure tragic deaths like those during Hurricane Ida never happen again,” said Deputy Mayor for Housing, Economic Development, and Workforce Maria Torres-Springer. “The city's new efforts to combat the effects of climate change, including the new Cloudburst project at South Jamaica Houses, are the kind of aggressive efforts we need to keep New Yorkers safe in their homes.”
“Our infrastructure was designed to function in a climate that we don’t live in anymore, but we are working hard to update it to protect New Yorkers from flooding,” said New York City Chief Climate Officer and DEP Commissioner Rohit T. Aggarwala. “From rain gardens to porous pavement, we are working faster and smarter to protect New Yorkers from the intense storms we see more frequently than ever before.”
“Three years after Hurricane Ida, the city is making major strides in flood mitigation and centering community input,” said MOCEJ Executive Director Elijah Hutchinson. “Our FloodNet sensors can help you take a different route to school or know when to deploy flood barriers — and, over time, city agencies will use this crucial data for vital infrastructure planning.”
“Our growing portfolio of climate related projects reflects the city’s changing needs as storms become more frequent and intense and sea levels continue to rise,” said DDC Commissioner Thomas Foley. “In the last fiscal year, in addition to our coastal resiliency work, DDC installed 1,249 rain gardens and infiltration basins and an additional 20,478 square feet of porous pavement to help manage stormwater on city streets before it reaches the sewer system. And in the coming years, along with our partners at DEP, we’re planning much more, including many more miles of porous pavement, plus work on cloudburst initiatives and new Bluebelts. DDC will continue to adapt so the city can adapt.”
“As the emergency management agency for one of the most diverse cities in the world, we understand the critical need for a multi-channel, multilingual, and multicultural communication strategy,” said New York City Emergency Management (NYCEM) Commissioner Zach Iscol. “Flash floods can strike with little warning and pose a significant threat to life and property. That's why we're leveraging every tool at our disposal — from NotifyNYC alerts and WhatsApp messages to drones and invaluable partnerships with community-based organizations and elected officials. Our goal is to ensure that every New Yorker, no matter where they are or what language they speak, receives the vital information they need to stay safe during emergencies.”
Sewer System Investments and Upgrades
Over the course of the Adams administration, the city has installed dozens of miles of new sewers, significantly upgrading the system’s drainage capacity to handle millions of additional gallons of sudden and heavy rainfall during a storm. The administration recently completed two major projects in the frequently flooded Queens communities of Maspeth and College Point. The $106 million Maspeth project added more than a mile of new, very large sewers and nearly a mile of new water mains, and it used innovative construction techniques like micro-tunneling to significantly reduce the effects of construction on the local community. The $132 million College Point project added nearly 8.5 miles of new sewers and seven miles of new water mains, in addition to 300 new catch basins.
Additionally, DEP is installing slotted manhole covers that provide an alternate drainage point to help street level water drain into curbside catch basins in the event that a catch basin grate gets matted over with leaves, debris, or litter.
Cloudburst Program
Cloudbursts — or sudden, heavy downpours similar to what was seen during Hurricane Ida — can put lives in danger, damage property, disrupt critical infrastructure, and pollute New York’s waterways. The city’s Cloudburst Program manages these extreme downpours using localized grey and green infrastructure, open spaces, and other innovative methods of absorbing, storing, and transferring stormwater. Working together, these assets store excess stormwater until torrential rains pass and there is sufficient capacity in the neighborhood sewer system to better manage it.
This summer, the city broke ground on the first of these projects at NYCHA’s South Jamaica Houses, projected to be completed in 2025. The project will capture nearly 3.5 million gallons of stormwater annually, easing pressure on the sewer system and helping to reduce flooding. Additionally, the city recently received $100 million in federal funds to construct two additional Cloudburst projects in Corona and Kissena, and was shortlisted for $100 million more for projects in East Elmhurst and Central Harlem. Previously announced Cloudburst projects in Parkchester-Morris Park, the Bronx, East New York, Brooklyn, East Harlem, Manhattan and St. Alban’s, Queens, are currently being designed by engineers while work slated for Brownsville, Brooklyn, is anticipated to begin in the coming months. The Brownsville project was also awarded $24 million in federal funding.
Other Green Infrastructure
Green infrastructure projects create additional capacity for stormwater management by storing and absorbing excess rainwater, preventing it from entering (or overwhelming) the sewer system. Today, DEP completed its transformation of three acres of impermeable concrete medians in Queens Village into a green infrastructure system that can collect approximately 5 million gallons of stormwater from the area and help to reduce flooding. Additional large concrete medians in the Bronx, Brooklyn, and Queens will be transformed into resilient green infrastructure medians beginning next year.
Furthermore, the city is installing seven miles of porous pavement — which unlike traditional asphalt-paved roadways, allows stormwater to pass through and be absorbed naturally into the ground — along Brooklyn roadways. This $32.6 million project, which will help prevent flooding, sewer backups into homes and businesses, and overflows into waterways, and is expected to be completed in early 2026. Additional porous pavement projects are in the pipeline for neighborhoods in the Bronx, Brooklyn, and Queens.
Additionally, the Adams administration is constructing a new, three-acre Bluebelt in Staten Island’s Midland Beach neighborhood. Bluebelts are ecologically-rich and cost-effective drainage ponds, where existing wetlands are reengineered so that they can naturally manage the precipitation that falls on streets and sidewalks. This project adds to the city’s network of nearly 100 Bluebelts, most of which are located on Staten Island, and builds on last October’s completion of a $110 million expansion of the New Creek Bluebelt. Bluebelts are a key part of the city’s strategy to mitigate inland flooding, and the Adams administration continues to actively evaluate locations in all five boroughs to expand the successful Bluebelt network.
Finally, DEP and DDC recently completed construction of more than 900 curbside rain gardens and infiltration basins across Crown Heights, Brooklyn and Whitestone, Queens. Each year, it is anticipated that these rain gardens will intercept approximately 58 million gallons of stormwater, keeping it out of the sewer system and helping to reduce flooding, sewer backups into homes and businesses, and overflows into waterways. To date, the city has built more than 10,500 curbside rain gardens, including 2,300 during the Adams administration.
Flood Preparedness
The city’s network of flood sensors provide real-time, street-level flood information through a free, online dashboard. This data allows residents, officials, and emergency responders to immediately react and respond to flooding conditions. Data gathered can also be used to compare historical hyperlocal flooding conditions and inform future mitigation efforts. On the first anniversary of Hurricane Ida, Mayor Adams set a goal of having 500 flood sensors in priority flooding areas by 2027 — and the city is now on track to meet that benchmark well ahead of schedule using a combination of surface flood sensors and piloting the use of traffic cameras for flood detection. This past week, the city installed its 200th sensor in Corona, Queens’ Louis Simeone Park.
Additionally, to help New Yorkers understand and prepare for the risks associated with rainfall-based flooding, the city has released a new map showing how much flooding results from different levels of rainfall under current and future sea level rise predictions. In July 2022, the city released “Rainfall Ready NYC,” an action-focused overview of the responsibilities New Yorkers and city government must share to combat intense storms, together, today.
Furthermore, the Adams administration has continued to expand its public emergency notification systems. Notify NYC — the public notification program run by NYCEM — has gained an additional 335,000 subscribers since fall 2021, informing more communities about weather conditions that may impact them. In April 2023, NYCEM developed a Basement Alerts group to deliver targeted messaging to New Yorkers living in basement-level dwellings. When activated, these alerts trigger phone calls, text messages, emails, and mobile notifications to subscribed communities to inform them of risks and action steps in the event of potential or imminent flood conditions. Since its inception, this Basement Alerts group has grown steadily, amassing over 5,600 subscribers.
The administration has also started to use drones to broadcast flood warnings in low-lying communities, to ensure that all residents are aware of any potential hazards. The drone mission reflects the administration’s commitment to exploring innovative technologies that can enhance the city’s emergency response. Drones have the added benefit of geographic specificity. During the early August 2024 flood events, the drones were sent to flood-prone neighborhoods to announce recorded warnings in English and Spanish.
Finally, this summer, DEP has partnered with elected officials, community boards, and local organizations to host Flood Preparedness Town Halls, where approximately 2,000 flood kits, including flood barriers, sump pumps, and flood sensors, are being distributed to residents. Senior staff and engineers have been on hand at these educational workshops to discuss what the city is doing to fortify neighborhoods in the face of climate change. The information and kits provided at these events empower residents and business owners to protect their properties from the damaging effects of extreme weather. So far, sessions have been held in Throggs Neck, Bronx, Red Hook and Bushwick, Brooklyn, and Jamaica, Queens. Upcoming events will be held on September 17 in the Rockaways and on September 24 on Staten Island. DEP also distributed more than 9,000 60-gallon rain barrels to New Yorkers, free of charge. The 60-gallon rain barrels are easy to install and connect directly to a property’s gutter or downspout to capture and store stormwater that falls on the rooftop. The water collected in the rain barrel reduces the amount of stormwater that enters the city’s sewer system, helping to alleviate flooding while also protecting the health of local waterways.
“Three years after the floodwaters of Hurricane Ida took 13 precious lives, we have now deployed $1.2 billion in infrastructure to stop it from ever happening again,” said New York State Assemblymember Jenifer Rajkumar. “Across all five boroughs, we have implemented sewer upgrades, 200 flood sensors, the first Cloudburst stormwater management project, 3 acres of bioswales, and more. This will keep millions of gallons of water from overwhelming our sewer system, flooding our streets and homes, and causing untold damage. This is a common-sense use of taxpayer dollars: studies show that every $1 in flood hazard mitigation saves $7 in recovery costs. Together, we will keep all New Yorkers high and dry and stop flood damage in its tracks.”
Sunday, September 8, 2024
Governor Hochul comes to the Bronx for the Bronx Democratic Party Bronx Women For Kamala Harris
Governor Hochul comes to the Bronx for the Bronx Democratic Party Bronx Women For Kamala Harris
By Robert Press
In front of elected officials and party leaders from all over the borough, Bronx Democratic County Leader State Senator Jamaal Bailey declared it is time for us to get Kamala Harris elected as the next President of the United States. Mentioning only fifty-five days left until election day he spoke up Vice-President Harris, as he said Vice-President Harris "busted her ass to get where she is" as he then introduced the special guest New York State Governor Kathy Hochul.
Governor Hochul said that it is important for Vice-President Kamala Harris to win the presidency, but also it is just as important to win back the House of Representatives and put Congressman Hakeem Jeffries as the Speaker of the House. Governor Hochul mentioned that the rest of the country goes as New York goes.
Other speakers were soon to be new Congressman George Latimer, State Senator Luis Sepulveda, State Senator Nathalia Fernandez, Assemblywoman Yudelka Tapia, Assemblywoman Karines Reyes, and the newest member of the State Assemblyman Landon Dias. Assemblywoman Chantel Jackson was also on hand but did not speak, and Bronx Borough President Vanessa Gibson arrived after the event was over.
Bronx Democratic County Leader State Senator Jamaal Bailey surrounded by Bronx elected and party officials opened the Bronx Women for Vice-President Kamala Harris event.
Here, Bronx Democratic County Leader Bailey introduces the special guest New York State Governor Kathy Hochul.
Governor Hochul says that not only must Vice-President Harris win the Presidency, but Democrats must win the House of Representatives back so Congressman Hakeem Jeffries would become the speaker of the House.
16th Democratic candidate for Congress George Latimer said that his district will be voting for Kamala Harris and he will look forward to working with the new Speaker of the House, Congressman Hakeem Jeffries.
Assemblywoman Yudelka Tapia said that we are going to register voters so Kamala Harris will win.
Assemblywoman Karines Reyes said the Bronx had the highest COVID-19 rate and a person in the White House who denied science, adding that he denies that we are in global warming.