<
https://reasonstobecheerful.world/permeable-pavement-stormwater-flooding-new-york-city/>
"Among the kosher markets, eateries and synagogues of Brooklyn’s Borough Park
neighborhood, a quiet transformation is underway. On a recent overcast
Saturday, the intersection of 37th Street and 12th Avenue looked like any other
intersection in the area, surrounded by single-family homes and parking
garages. But an important measure to mitigate mass flooding was implemented
here last month, when New York’s Department of Environmental Protection (DEP)
began to install seven miles of permeable pavement along curb lines.
Pavement covers so much of the urban landscape, but most of us probably don’t
think much about how it impacts the flow of water through our cities — until a
hurricane or big rainstorm hits, and stormwater runs swiftly right off of it.
The catastrophic flooding that hit parts of New York, New Jersey and
Connecticut last weekend was the latest example of how sudden and dramatic the
impact of such storms can be.
When storms produce widespread torrential rains, floods from storm surge can
cause serious damage to our sewer systems. As we approach the peak months of
the Atlantic hurricane season, the risk for flooding and storm surge increases.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) projected that the
2024 hurricane season would be above normal, and rapid hurricane
intensification has become more common in recent years.
But experts suggest that permeable pavement could help cities across the United
States improve their stormwater resilience. Already, cities and counties like
Cleveland, Kansas City and California’s Orange County have put permeable
pavement to use to comply with the US Environmental Protection Agency’s
stormwater regulations. In Borough Park, it’s being strategically installed
along curb lines — where the street meets the sidewalk and water drains toward
catch basins.
According to Elizabeth Hiser, a stream restoration ecologist for Cleveland
Metroparks, permeable pavement is designed to get water back into the soil, as
a way of mimicking what greenery would have naturally done before there were
driveways, parking lots, streets and roofs.
In urbanized systems, water runs off and it does not absorb into the ground.
Permeable pavement can help recharge and decrease the flow of runoff events.
And unlike other interventions that might require pavement to be replaced by
vegetation, permeable pavement can also help densely built cities keep what
they already have: “One of the reasons cities like this practice is because you
get a multi-use out of it. You don’t have to give up your parking, but you also
get stormwater benefits, which are in demand in cities like New York,” says
Hiser."
Cheers,
*** Xanni ***
--
mailto:xanni@xanadu.net Andrew Pam
http://xanadu.com.au/ Chief Scientist, Xanadu
https://glasswings.com.au/ Partner, Glass Wings
https://sericyb.com.au/ Manager, Serious Cybernetics
