About the Project
Cloudburst Management at Breukelen Houses is a grounds improvement project that will include drainage infrastructure upgrades and community amenity improvements across several locations throughout Breukelen Houses.
Breukelen Houses is at risk of extreme flooding due to New York City’s intense rain storms (“cloudburst events”), outdated drainage infrastructure, and clogged drains.
Projects will add landscape-based stormwater gardens and more effective underground drainage infrastructure and will replace impacted amenities. Additional community amenities will be included in project work near where infrastructure upgrades will occur. The types of amenities that will be built are to be determined by resident engagement.
The project is currently in the planning/design phase, which will be completed in spring 2026. Once the project moves into the construction phase, updates will be provided regarding work schedules and possible impacts.
The project is being funded by a grant awarded by the NYC Extreme Weather Task Force.
What is the Problem?
Stormwater accumulates and deposits dirt along sidewalks
Flooding along roadside and park entrances
Stormwater accumulates within public gathering spaces
Water ponding around drainage inlets leaves debris accumulated from stormwater flows
Clogged storm drains from flooding debris
Patches of sidewalk covered in dirt show previous extents of flooding
Flooding anticipated near spray showers, worsening flooding
Flooding can cover large extents of sidewalks within communal areas
Ponding of floodwaters accumulate on basketball court, limiting use
Damage to open lawn areas
Flooding adjacent to waste yard can disrupt trash operations or decrease water quality in Fresh Creek
Flooding at building entrances
What is cloudburst management?
Cloudburst events are high-intensity rainstorms that can drop a large amount of water over a short period of time, often overwhelming the capacity of the city’s sewer system. Cloudburst management uses a combination of traditional drainage infrastructure and landscape-based stormwater features (“green infrastructure”) to reduce pressure on the sewer systems during cloudburst events, minimizing any damage and impact to residents’ quality of life.
The cloudburst management approach prioritizes resilience by reducing pressure on sewer systems through a combination of techniques, including:
ABSORB
ABSORB rainfall through landscape features to the maximum extent possible.
STORE
STORE stormwater within landscaping and subsurface tanks.
TRANSFER
TRANSFER stormwater effectively to the city’s sewer system when storage is full to reduce excessive ponding on-site.
CONVEY
CONVEY stormwater towards new community amenities designed to flood in extreme storm events to minimize property damage and threats to access.
