The plan, which is expected to cost taxpayers $2.5 million, aims to prepare city dwellers for extreme rainfall. It comes more than a month before the start of the 2022 hurricane season, which the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration predicts will produce 6 to 10 hurricanes.
"Climate change is the city's greatest environmental threat, and while we continue to invest in resiliency and infrastructure projects to protect us for future generations," Adams said in a statement. "The Rainfall Ready NYC action plan will help every New Yorker protect themselves, their families, and their homes."
Since Hurricane Ida, a Category 4 storm that caused severe damage in New York and New Jersey and resulted in dozens of deaths nationwide, the mayor's new plan represents a shift toward individual responsibility on climate. The city issued a resource guide called "Rainfall Ready NYC" on Thursday to assist residents in making individual plans for extreme weather.
"Our climate is changing, which means more frequent extreme weather in New York City, but there are steps we can take to prepare," said Department of Environmental Protection Commissioner Rit Aggarwala.
Around 8,000 homes in the city's most flood-prone areas, ranging from one to four units, will receive letters in the coming weeks informing them of their eligibility for the inflatable dams. The homes were chosen based on a new city map that models storm risk. Residents can then collect dams and sandbags from distribution points in August, ahead of the peak of hurricane season, with resources tailored to their home's layout and circumstances.
A spokesperson for the Department of Environmental Protection told NY1 that the city has approximately 25,000 dams on hand. Each dam currently sells for around $44 on Amazon.