Hochul launches FloodSafe NY to build more resilient communities

Partnership with US Geological Survey to develop first-in-nation statewide hydrologic monitoring network to provide enhanced data on flooding patterns

√ Initiative intends to help communities mitigate flood risk & improve emergency response

Submitted by the Office of Gov. Kathy Hochul 

Gov. Kathy Hochul announced the launch of FloodSafe NY, a partnership between the Department of Environmental Conservation and the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) to develop a first-in-the-nation statewide hydrologic monitoring network to help communities better understand and predict flooding, so they can reduce the associated risks.

Originally proposed in Hochul’s 2026 State of the State, FloodSafe NY will enhance the state’s streamgage network, giving local governments access to the water data needed to identify flooding patterns and hydrologic trends. The improved technology will help communities save lives and reduce damage from future flooding events by anticipating flood risks earlier and making smarter infrastructure decisions.

“As climate change increases the frequency and intensity of flooding, New York state is making historic investments to make our infrastructure more resilient to extreme weather,” Hochul said. “This first-in-the-nation initiative will provide communities with data to make life-saving decisions and ensure a safer and more sustainable future for all New Yorkers.”

DEC Commissioner Amanda Lefton said, “This nation-leading initiative delivers on Gov. Hochul’s commitment to mitigate flood risk, support municipal partners and build more resilient communities without increasing costs to New Yorkers. FloodSafe NY builds upon our partnership with USGS to provide flood-prone municipalities with critical data on flooding patterns to adapt to increasing storms, while also producing more accurate flood warnings that save lives and reduce property damage.

DEC is contracting with USGS to expand the statewide streamgage network and modernize existing gages. The improvements will provide near real-time data on what is happening in streams and rivers to create precedent-setting flood prediction and emergency response capacity. The network will also provide water data necessary to detect, respond to and monitor drought conditions, ensure adequate clean water supplies, improve water-resource policy, and fuel economic development.

FloodSafe NY is funded by the Clean Water, Clean Air and Green Jobs Environmental Bond Act and USGS cooperative matching funds.

The FloodSafe NY initiative will upgrade existing streamgages with camera technology, backup data transmission and two-way telemetry to improve functionality while also reducing operation and maintenance costs. Streamgages will be strategically placed in high-priority locations for flood warning, and cost-effective virtual streamgages will be deployed in data-sparse areas.

FloodSafe NY builds upon successful Resilient NY stream study program by providing high-resolution data to prioritize watersheds and inform additional flood studies and create flood inundation maps that can identify high-risk flood-prone areas that are even more at risk due to climate change.

Earlier this year, Hochul announced nearly $100 million in new grant funding to support nature-based and green infrastructure projects designed to reduce flood risk and enhance community resilience to extreme weather. Two programs – the Resilient Watersheds Grant (RWG) program, managed jointly by DEC and New York State Environmental Facilities Corp. (EFC), and the Community Resilience and Flood Risk Reduction Grants program, administered by the New York State Department of State – are part of the nation-leading state investments providing communities with the resources necessary to strengthen infrastructure, enhance water quality and protect New Yorkers.