Engineering Inc - July/August 2019 - 32

Addressing
Storm Surge
PROJECT: RED HOOK INTEGRATED
FLOOD PROTECTION SYSTEM
BROOKLYN, NEW YORK
FIRM: DEWBERRY
NEW YORK

E

stablished by the Dutch in 1636,
the community of Red Hook is set
on a low-lying peninsula in western Brooklyn, New York. Despite
being one of the world's busiest freight
ports in the mid-19th century, Red Hook
experienced economic decline in the
20th century. In recent years, Red Hook
continued to support trading activities
and began to attract new residents and
businesses.
During this resurgence, Red Hook
suffered devastating flooding from
Hurricane Sandy's storm surge in October
2012, leaving more than 75 percent of
the community under water.
To address Red Hook's flood vulnerabilities, the New York City Economic
Development Corp. (NYCEDC)
partnered with the New York City
Mayor's Office of Recovery and
Resiliency (ORR) to identify measures

32

ENGINEERING INC. JULY / AUGUST 2019

to reduce flood risks in
After reviewing each
the community, from
alternative for technical
coastal storm surges to
feasibility and obtaining
sea-level rise. NYCEDC
feedback from the
hired Dewberry to direct a
community, suitable
Rahul Parab
multidisciplinary team of
locations and appropriate
Resiliency Group Director
consultants and conduct a
heights for the coastal flood
Dewberry
feasibility study to evaluate
risk reduction system were
existing and future flood risks, create con- identified.
ceptual design alternatives and develop
Engineering solutions combined
a preferred alternative for an integrated
floodwall structures with raised roadways
flood protection system (IFPS).
to avoid the need for deployable
Dewberry pioneered the creation of an
systems, maximizing the reliability of the
integrated coastal and stormwater model
proposed system. The final plan included
that simulated the dynamics of a coastal
recommendations to raise Beard Street,
storm surge and rainfall happening
which runs along the waterfront, and a
concurrently. The model included
street-level floodwall. A second floodwall,
simultaneous hydrologic, hydraulic and
with a reinforced bulkhead, would
hydrodynamic occurrences during a
be constructed at the Atlantic Basin.
storm. It also provided a comprehensive
Drainage modifications would prevent
understanding of existing flood risks that
the intrusion of a coastal storm surge into
informed the development of the IFPS,
the combined sewer system.
which was tested against similar storm
"We are protecting to an elevation of
conditions within the integrated model.
8 feet, which is close to today's 10-year
Planning for the IFPS involved idencoastal storm surge with a 1-foot sea
tifying various alignments for the flood
level rise," says Parab. "The project
protection system within the dense urban
components are designed in a way that
footprint.
will allow flexibility to extend in the
"The challenge we had in this project
future."
was we had a set budget of $100 million,"
With the conceptual development
says Rahul Parab, resiliency group direcproject completed within budget and on
tor for Dewberry. "We went through an
schedule, the proposed IFPS solution
extensive community engagement process was approved by NYCEDC and ORR in
to determine what would and would not
September 2017. The project currently is
work."
being designed.

DEWBERRY

The conceptual plan for
Red Hook's integrated
flood protection system
combines floodwall
structures with raised
roadways in order to avoid
the need for deployable
systems and maximize
reliability.
Engineering Inc - July/August 2019

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