The Major Deegan Expressway from above 225th Street on Sept. 2, 2021

Ida Delivers New York a Wake-up Call on Climate Change

Contributors: Samantha Maldonado, Katie Honan and Josefa Velasquez

The fierce remnants of Hurricane Ida, which pounded New York nearly nine years after Superstorm Sandy wreaked havoc, offered more grim reminders that climate change is now a life-or-death issue for the city. As New Yorkers grapple with devastating loss, THE CITY tracks what threatens to be Ida’s long wake.

25 Total Updates Since
August 01, 2021 10:02 PM

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Hochul and Adams Talk Change on Ida Anniversary With Little to Show

By Samantha Maldonado and Katie Honan

While the city and state are taking some steps to mitigate future flooding, victims, experts and government officials themselves say more needs to be done.
Ida Flood Victims Face Another Storm Season With Sandbags and Bad Sewers

By Samantha Maldonado

While officials work toward sewer and drain upgrades and ‘green infrastructure’ to absorb water, people in at-risk neighborhoods know they are vulnerable.
A Year After Hurricane Ida Flooding, Families in Hotels and Basement Protections in Limbo

By Samantha Maldonado

Flooded out of their homes, people who can’t find new housing — even while being helped by city agencies — illustrate the urgency of the affordable housing crisis.
For Ida-Flooded Homeowners Denied City Payouts, Legal Options and Political Promises

By Katie Honan and Samantha Maldonado

Elected officials vow there’s hope on the horizon, but many of the soaked suffering are too exhausted to pursue complicated efforts to get compensation.
City Comptroller Denies Every Single Financial Claim for Hurricane Ida Flooding

By Samantha Maldonado and Katie Honan

The office asserts the system is broken and City Hall can help more, as it follows a century-old legal precedent and rejects payout requests for flood damage.
Billions at Stake as NY Climate Law’s ‘Disadvantaged Communities’ Label Directs Flood of Funds

By Samantha Maldonado

Under New York’s sweeping climate law, certain neighborhoods are guaranteed to get attention and money if they qualify as disadvantaged. Find out how to check your block’s designation — and weigh in on the process.
Ida Fund for Excluded Flood Victims Re-Opens After Doling Small Slice of $27M

By Samantha Maldonado

The aid program for undocumented immigrants and other people left out of federal programs had stopped taking applications in January despite tens of millions of dollars still being available.
Hochul’s $27M Ida-Relief Fund for Immigrants Has Doled Out Less Than $1M

By Samantha Maldonado and Josefa Velasquez

The future of any leftover money is unclear but advocates and some lawmakers are pushing for the creation of a permanent relief fund for undocumented folks affected by disasters.
Hurricane Ida Recovery Aid is Too Little, Too Late, New York Storm Victims Say

By Samantha Maldonado

Renters and homeowners slammed by the deadly storm face different obstacles and seek varying types of relief. But their shared experiences — including living in fear of the next storm — underscore a housing crisis exacerbated by climate change.
De Blasio Promises Queens Residents Displaced by Ida a New Shelter Closer to Home

By Katie Honan

After THE CITY revealed that evacuees were set to be moved from a Kennedy Airport hotel to Brooklyn, City Hall reversed course. Meanwhile, the mayor vowed to help storm-battered New Yorkers get back home or to find permanent new housing.