ABSTRACT
Metropolitan New York is vulnerable to coastal flooding and widespread damage to urban infrastructure, commercial structures and residential neighborhoods from both seasonal hurricanes and extra-tropical storms. A significant portion of the metropolitan area lies less than 3 m above mean sea level; in total covering an area of about 260 km2 (see Figure 9.1). Many types of structures are located within this low-lying region, including commercial properties and financial institutions, apartment buildings and private dwellings, hospitals, police and fire stations, marine transportation terminals, three major airports, heliports, numerous underground railroad and subway lines (with associated station entrances and ventilation shafts), highways, bridge access roads, tunnels, power plants, the underground steam district heating system, electrical and communication networks, landfills, 14 waste water treatment facilities and 770 combined sewer overflows with their tide gate regulators discharging near or at sea level (Zimmerman, 1996). Map of Metropolitan New York showing inundation predictions for a 100-year flood at present mean sea level https://s3-euw1-ap-pe-df-pch-content-public-p.s3.eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/9781849772679/cbb7f19a-b3ed-4b1d-92db-b60bfc8e168e/content/fig9_1_B.jpg" xmlns:xlink="https://www.w3.org/1999/xlink"/> Source:adapted from Gornitz, 2001.
