WE ACT’s Faces of Flood Zones in Northern Manhattan
A New York City Climate Week – Sept. 23rd-29th – Social Media Campaign
To better illustrate the impact of flooding driven by climate change in our communities, WE ACT for Environmental Justice and its partners are running a social media campaign during New York City’s 2019 Climate Week (Sept. 23rd-29th) that humanizes the issue by showcasing the people who live or work in these flood zones.
During the month of September, we are inviting people (download flyer) who live or work play in Northern Manhattan flood zones to take a photo of themselves in front of their home, job, or any other personally significant place that may be impacted by flooding. This place can simply be a favorite waterfront park or hangout. To determine if your place is in a flood zone, click on this link to see a map of Northern Manhattan flood zones (or scroll down to see if you are in any of the turquoise areas).
Once you have the photo, we ask that you email it to photos@weact.org by no later than Sept. 29th (the earlier the better) and include your 1) name, 2) location of the photo (whether a specific street address or simply the neighborhood), and 3) any comment you want to make about flooding along with any social media handles you want us to tag. We will collect these photos and start sharing them on our social media channels (Facebook, Twitter, & Instagram) with the #FacesOfFloodZones hashtag beginning on Sept. 23rd. Here are the faces we’ve featured so far:
The Marx Brothers Playground, along with much of my neighborhood, was underwater during Superstorm Sandy. Climate change is making these storms more intense and frequent, and contributing to rising sea levels. We need to address the climate crisis now, or I’m going to have to give up playing soccer and start playing water polo.
Climate change is making Dyckman Street – my home – a greater risk to flood during extreme storms. Moneybag climate villains are benefiting from pollution while everyday people face increased threats to our safety and health. It’s unjust and we’ve got to set it right.
David and I live in upper Manhattan near the Hudson River and our favorite 125th St. Pier. Flooding here, as all along the Hudson on the west side of the city, would destroy park land, bike lanes, playgrounds, pedestrian, auto, & public transit pathways, and small & big businesses. It would take our picnic spot and sometime concert and movie venue. Let’s be sensible. Let’s work hard to prevent flooding where possible.
The beautiful block I live on is a flood zone! NYC needs to tax its big corporations and wealthy landlords in order to create funds to support and protect communities that are most vulnerable to climate change.
I’m an Urban Park Ranger stationed at Inwood Hill Park, where our Nature Center was destroyed by 5 foot high flood waters during Hurricane Sandy and is still waiting to be restored. Flash floods often inundate the sports fields and can cause damage to trees over time. These extreme weather events will only threaten our parks more and more unless we address climate change now.
I took these photos in the Modesto “Tin” Flores Garden on 104th and Lexington Ave, a garden that has been in East Harlem since 1987 for the community to have a public gathering space and for growing fruits, vegetables, and flowers. it also contains beautiful art and sculpture. This is one of my favorite places near where I live to read (with mind to East Harlem’s rich literary and poetic history) and also is in a flood zone. East Harlem is a rapidly gentrifying community, and yet the development companies and landlords hiking the prices contribute nothing to protecting the livelihood of its inhabitants in light of climate change and potential flooding.
I’ve been holding meetings at PS 5 for a climate change project. The school has been so welcoming to WE ACT, it makes holding meetings there a pleasure. PS 5 just underwent upgrades, and looks very nice. However, it is situated right on Harlem River, and it is therefore in a primary flood zone. I worry about how the school will cope if and when there is flooding from a storm.
If you have any questions, contact Sonal Jessel, WE ACT’s Policy and Advocacy Coordinator, at sonal@weact.org or 212-961-1000 ext. 312.
