Dear New Yorkers,  

Last week, Tropical Storm Ophelia nearly brought New York City to a halt. 

Mass transit was suspended, already-crumbling subway stations became waterfalls, and basement apartments became lagoons. In fact, the storm capped off the 2nd wettest September since 1882. 

That's why my office is officially launching an investigation into the City’s ability to manage extreme rainfall after last week's brutal storm. Read about it in today’s New York Times.

After deadly Hurricane Ida hit NYC in 2021, the City government planned out action items and key safety precautions to address future storms. Our investigation will evaluate how well those measures have been integrated into the City’s emergency response, and to what extent they were followed for Tropical Storm Ophelia last week. 

The goal of this fair, thorough, and independent investigation is to help us prepare for future extreme rainfall events. Before the next emergency, we need to make sure the City has effectively adopted all the lessons we learn. Lack of preparedness "precipitates” disaster. 

The unfortunate reality is that extreme weather is becoming our new climate reality. From extreme rain fall to toxic wildfire smoke, everyday people are directly affected by climate change — and our most vulnerable New Yorkers bear the brunt of the disasters it causes. 

To ensure the City can respond as effectively as possible to keep New Yorkers safe from increasingly strong and frequent storms, we must make sure we're implementing the plans we’ve made, and doing everything we reasonably can to accelerate action. 

I’ll keep you updated as our investigation continues, and you can read more about it in the New York Times today.  

Thanks, 

Brad