Mayor Adams Says Sewer System Was No Match for Record Rain

By Y.M. Lowy

Mayor Eric Adams says the storm that hit New York City brought a level of rain the sewer system was never built to handle. 

The mayor stressed that the city’s infrastructure is outdated and not designed for this kind of extreme weather. He and other city officials are now urging New Yorkers to stay prepared, pay attention to alerts, and take warnings seriously as these intense storms become more common.

The city’s sewer infrastructure, built more than a century ago, was designed to handle up to 1.75 inches of rainfall per hour. During this storm, the peak rate in some areas reached over 4 inches per hour. “It’s like trying to pour a two-liter bottle into a one-liter container,” said Commissioner Rohit Aggarwala of the Department of Environmental Protection.

Even with stronger maintenance and more catch basin cleaning crews than in past years, officials said the storm pushed the system past its limits. The city has already reduced its backlog of clogged drains from 5,000 to just over 200, but that wasn’t enough for a storm of this scale.

Long-term solutions are in the works, including multi-million-dollar projects to expand sewer capacity. But the city says those plans will take decades to complete fully. In the meantime, officials are focusing on better communication and encouraging public awareness.

New Yorkers are being urged to sign up for NotifyNYC, the city’s emergency alert system. It sent out 26 storm-related messages between Sunday and Tuesday. Over 1.3 million people are now subscribed, but city leaders want more residents to join so they can stay ahead of future weather events, especially residents in basement apartments and low-lying areas, to help them stay prepared and know when it’s time to leave.