Lessons Learned: NYC Flood Protection Systems Emergency Response Plans

This presentation highlights the Flood Protection System (FPS) projects designed since Hurricane Sandy and lessons learned working on one of the most complex projects undertaken in NYC history to protect Manhattan. The presentation will briefly review the design elements and then focus on the Emergency Response Plan (ERP) requirements (including new updated items), the steps taken to identify key stakeholders, engage partners, and collect information and capabilities to compile the plan. The presentation will share challenges and lessons learned during the process, including navigating numerous partners and competing priorities, facilitating decision making, roles and responsibilities, and understanding project impacts such as flood gate and road closures, crew schedules, agency budgets, timelines, and other flooding and evacuations in the area. The ERP is a requirement to get Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) project and construction approval and a Conditional Letter of Map Revision (CLOMR) for the National Flood Insurance Program.