About | FloodNet NYC

Our Mission

is to develop tools for real-time urban flood monitoring, implement these tools to measure flooding in New York City, and make flood data and monitoring tools available in a manner that is accessible and useful to stakeholders including residents, community-based organizations, government agencies, and researchers.

The FloodNet team is composed of researchers and practitioners at New York University, the City University of New York, and New York City government agencies working in collaboration with stakeholders to collect and share data that contribute toward flood risk mitigation and building community flood resilience.

Our Principles

ground the connection between the tools we develop, the community engagement practice we engage, and the partnerships we cultivate.

Sustainability + Integrity

We aim to build a flood monitoring network that is relevant now and into the future for NYC communities, researchers, and agencies.

Relevance + Credibility

We address and solve real-world problems and contribute to contemporary research.

Collaboration + Community

We collaborate with multiple stakeholders, with a focus on community in high-impact flood locations.

Accessibility + Usefulness

Our process and outputs are accessible for meaningful use.

Openness + Transparency

We share principles, practices, and decision-making processes as well as sensor architecture and data processing tools.

Equity + Accountability

We pay attention to histories of inequality and environmental injustice.

Project Origins

2018

Jamaica Bay Community Flood Watch Project

New York Sea Grant and the SRIJB trained residents on documenting and reporting flooding in their neighborhoods around Jamaica Bay using a photo archive

2019

Flood sensors developed independently at NYU and CUNY

Researchers at NYU and CUNY began working to develop ultrasonic flood sensors in response to research-specific needs and community priorities, respectively. NYU researchers sought to study flood microbiomes and the impact of contaminants. Partners in the Community Flood Watch program advocated for automated flood sensors to provide quantitative real-time data in addition to the photo archive

2020

FloodNet Collaboration Begins, First Sensors Installed

NYC Mayor's Office of Climate and Environmental Justice (MOCEJ) and Office of Technology and Innovation (OTI) team members first connected with FloodNet, bringing together NYU and CUNY researchers

2022

FloodNet Begins Expansion with DEP Funding

NYC Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) commissioned FloodNet to install 500 sensors across New York City

2023

Community Engagement Buildout

FloodNet brought on our Community Engagement Manager, leading to the development and implementation of a citywide Community Engagement strategy

2024

300 FloodNet Sensors Milestone

FloodNet accelerated sensor installations to reach a total of 300 flood sensors across the five boroughs of NYC

2019

Flood sensors developed independently at NYU and CUNY

Researchers at NYU and CUNY begin working to develop ultrasonic flood sensors

2020

FloodNet Collaboration Begins, First Sensors Installed

NYC Mayor's Office of Climate and Environmental Justice (MOCEJ) and Office of Technology and Innovation (OTI) team members first connect with FloodNet, bring together NYU and CUNY researchers

2023

Community Engagement Buildout

Development and implementation of a citywide FloodNet Community Engagement strategy

2024

300 FloodNet Sensors Milestone

Acceleration of sensor installations to reach a total of 300 flood sensors across the five boroughs of NYC

2018

NYC Community Flood Watch Project Founded

Community members in southern Queens and Brooklyn begin a concerted effort to document flooding around Jamaica Bay

2022

FloodNet Begins Expansion with DEP Funding

NYC Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) commissions FloodNet to install 500 sensors across New York City

The FloodNet Team

Brett Branco

Principal Investigator

CUNY Science and Resilience Institute at Jamaica Bay

Andrea Silverman

Principal Investigator

NYU Tandon School of Engineering

Ricardo Toledo-Crow

Principal Investigator

CUNY Advanced Science Research Center

Charlie Mydlarz

Technical Lead

NYU Center for Urban Science and Progress

Véronëque Ignace

Community Engagement Manager

FloodNet, CUNY SRIJB

Polly Pierone

Project Manager

FloodNet, CUNY SRIJB

Praneeth Challagonda

Senior Sensor Engineer

FloodNet, CUNY ASRC

Bea Steers

Embedded Developer

FloodNet, NYU CUSP

Amanpreet Kaur

Sensor Engineer

FloodNet, NYU CUSP

Sofia Mariyamis

Community Engagement Research Assistant

FloodNet, CUNY SRIJB

Chris Hoyte

Field Technician

FloodNet, CUNY ASRC

Archana Dwivedi

Community Engagement Research Assistant

FloodNet, CUNY SRIJB

Akshay Paralikar

Masters Student

FloodNet, NYU CUSP

Tanvi Bansal

Masters Student

FloodNet, NYU CUSP

Hayley Elszasz

City Partner

Mayor's Office of Climate and Environmental Justice

Paul Rothman

City Partner

Office of Technology & Innovation

Kendra Krueger

Community Sensor Educator

CUNY Advanced Science Research Center

Hannah Eisler Burnett

Coastal Resilience Specialist

New York Sea Grant

Elizabeth Henaff

Assistant Professor

NYU Tandon School of Engineering

Tega Brain

Industry Associate Professor

NYU Tandon School of Engineering

Past Contibutors

FloodNet’s success is due to a growing network of project contributors. We thank all of our past students, partners, and staff for the work they have done to shape the scope and approach of our project over the years.

Masters Students: