City advances $218 million barrier project while experts warn of inadequate storm protection
Brooklyn Neighborhood Faces Unequal Coastal Resiliency Standards
More than a decade after Superstorm Sandy devastated Red Hook in Brooklyn, killing 44 New Yorkers citywide and causing an estimated $19 billion in damage, the city has broken ground on a $218 million flood protection project for the low-income, predominantly Black and Hispanic neighborhood. However, coastal protection engineers and environmental justice advocates argue that the Red Hook Coastal Resiliency Project fails to meet the protection standards being applied to other Manhattan and Brooklyn waterfront developments, raising fundamental questions about equity in city infrastructure investment. The project, which will raise streets and construct floodwalls and barriers to approximately 10 feet above sea level, is designed to protect against 10-year storm events–far less ambitious than the 100-year storm protection standard adopted for other coastal neighborhoods and for a nearby $3.5 billion private development known as the Brooklyn Marine Terminal. According to ProPublica investigation and analysis, this discrepancy in protection standards reflects how federal cost-benefit analysis procedures can systematically disadvantage lower-income communities regardless of their vulnerability to flooding or climate change impacts.
Climate Projections Indicate Protection Inadequacy
Scientists and engineers modeling historical storm surge data and climate change projections indicate that a 100-year storm at current sea level would generate waves reaching at least 11 feet–exceeding Red Hook’s planned 10-foot protection barrier by one foot. When accounting for sea level rise projections developed by the New York City Panel on Climate Change, the same 100-year storm in mid-century scenarios would produce surge levels between 15 and 18 feet, vastly exceeding planned protections. Other coastal neighborhoods in New York City, including lower Manhattan, are being protected to minimum elevations of 16 feet or higher. Climate experts note that as global temperatures rise and polar ice continues melting, storm frequency and intensity will increase, making contemporary storm events more common. The Trump administration’s revocation of Biden-era guidelines encouraging 2-foot-above-100-year-storm protections has further constrained federal funding provisions. Red Hook residents, community advocates, and elected officials including City Council member Alexa Avilés have argued that this creates an unjust situation where the city’s poorest residents receive the least protection from intensifying climate impacts.
Federal Funding and Community Advocacy Paths Forward
The Red Hook Coastal Resiliency Project received initial federal disaster relief funding of $50 million from the Federal Emergency Management Agency, with the city contributing an additional $50 million from its capital budget. In 2024, approximately $100 million in additional funding became available, increasing the project elevation from 8 feet to 10 feet and improving park and green space features. However, this funding increase fell short of bringing protections to the 100-year storm standard advocated by engineering professors, urban planners, and environmental justice organizations. The Department of Design and Construction has cited Red Hook’s low-lying topography and privately owned waterfront infrastructure as technical constraints. However, urban planners and economists have questioned whether these constraints truly prevent 100-year standard construction or whether federal cost-benefit analysis procedures, which require projects to demonstrate that avoided flood damages exceed construction costs, systematically undervalue protection investments in lower-income neighborhoods where property values are lower. Mamdani’s incoming administration will inherit both the ongoing Red Hook project and pressure from environmental justice advocates to reassess protection standards and secure additional federal or city capital investment to enhance resilience in this vulnerable community.
