On September 1, 2021, remnants of Hurricane Ida brought record-breaking landfall to New York City. The intense rain led to severe flooding, resulting in 14 deaths and over 30,000 damaged structures. Most of the casualties were Asian immigrants living in unregulated basement apartments.
In this case study, Morris reviews the management and communications of Hurricane Ida in New York City, noting that despite a timely response, the disaster highlighted the city’s weak preparations for intense rainfall. Morris underscores the need for the city to address the socioeconomic and structural factors that influenced the poor disaster preparedness.