Drowning in NYC Basements, Leading Cause of Death for Hurricane Ida

Hurricane Ida, NYC

Hurricane Ida made landfall in New York City on September 1st, 2021. The extratropical storm brought a historic 3.5 inches of rainfall per hour in some areas, overwhelming the city’s sewer and stormwater drainage system, and causing the first flash-flood emergency to be issued in the city. Excess water quickly flowed into underground spaces such as basement apartments, drowning vulnerable residents.

The study “Immediate Injury Deaths Related to the Remnants From Hurricane Ida in New York City, September 1-2, 2021,” published by Cambridge University Press in the Journal of Disaster Medicine and Public Health Preparedness, examines the 14 deaths resulting from “external-cause deaths of unintentional manner” during Hurricane Ida. Out of the 14 deaths, 13 were directly related to Ida, and 11 of which were caused by drowning in basement apartments. Five residences where deaths occurred were unregulated basement apartments that could not be legally occupied, and six residences were in one to four-unit, low-rise buildings. Of the 11 drownings, all involved either family members or emergency response personnel being unable to reach the individual, or an inability for the resident to leave the location due to physical barriers. Additionally, the researchers brought attention to the disproportionate number of drownings occurring in illegal basement apartments inhabited by older, Asian, and foreign-born citizens.

This study highlights the affordable housing crisis currently affecting the city. The researchers emphasize how a lack of housing can cause vulnerable individuals to occupy basement apartments with no regulations or oversight. The risks of living in these residences were made clear in this report, along with the increasing threat of climate change, causing more frequent flooding events similar to the magnitude of Ida.

To aid in mitigating these fatal circumstances, experts recommend flood alarms in basements, emergency warnings in a larger range of languages, and expansion of the NYC sewer system.

By Sarah Ortega