09/01/2026
Five years ago today, Hurricane Ida destroyed homes across Queens, stole nearly a dozen of our neighbors and exposed how vulnerable we are to severe weather.
So many scars from September 1, 2021 remain. Families still grieve. Neighborhoods still flood every time it pours. But we are taking the lessons Ida taught us and making real progress.
More than $2 billion worth of infrastructure upgrades are being made in Southeast Queens as we speak to keep those communities dry. Dozens of projects are either done or in the hopper. But climate change has since put inland communities like Flushing, Hollis and East Elmhurst in its crosshairs.
For those neighborhoods that have flooded multiple times just this summer, we are pushing for innovative solutions like a Kissena Park bluebelt and cloudburst projects that will better absorb stormwater.
The Trump Administration unconscionably revoked $150 million in funding for those projects last year, but best believe we will continue the fight to recover that money AND push the city and state to invest as well.
At the end of the day, climate change is only getting worse. Storms like Ida will strike again.
Today, we remember what and who we lost in the floodwaters. Every day forward, we must commit ourselves as a city to tackling this crisis with the dedication it deserves.
The remnants of Hurricane Ida killed 12 people, 11 of whom were from Queens, according to the authorities.
