Per NOAA, 2024 was the warmest year on record, highlighting need for continued climate and resiliency planning and investment.
NEW HAVEN, CT – In recent years, the City of New Haven has experienced several heavy rainstorms and coastal storms that have caused flooding in certain areas of the City, occasionally resulting in impassable roads, damage to property, and potential threats to public health and safety. Further, earlier the month, the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) announced that 2024 was the warmest year on record.
To help address this, the City of New Haven is continuously working to improve its preparedness for natural hazards and disasters — including floods, hurricanes, severe storms, and other major weather events – and to foster community resilience and awareness through various educational and public information efforts.
“Globally, 2024 was the warmest year on record and the last ten years has been the warmest decade on record. These warming temperatures continue to result into more severe weather events and flooding in our region. This requires us – both as a city and as individuals – to prepare and plan accordingly and to make strategic investments in our homes and city infrastructure that further strengthen our overall resiliency against present and future challenges stemming from climate change,” said Mayor Elicker. “As a city, we will continue to make these investments and confront the challenge of climate change head on, and I encourage all New Haveners to also take proper precautions to protect themselves and their property against flooding and other extreme weather events.”
To better protect themselves and their property from the potential threats caused by natural hazards and flooding, residents are encouraged to:
- Check FEMA’s interactive map to see if their property is in a FEMA Flood Hazard Zone at msc.fema.gov;
- Learn more about the National Flood Insurance Program at floodsmart.gov;
- Sign up for NHV Alerts, the City of New Haven’s emergency notification system to get alerted about severe weather and other emergencies impacting our area, at newhavenct.gov/NHValerts;
- Visit the City of New Haven’s Flood Information webpage at newhavenct.gov/flood or contact the City Plan Department for more information at (203) 946-7842.
In 2023, the City of New Haven in coordination with the Southern Central Regional Council of Governments, which represents fifteen municipalities in the area, created an updated Hazard Mitigation Plan to help manage the region’s potential flood hazards and to help mitigate against potential threats and damage from flooding events and has since advanced a myriad of action projects and strategies. The main goals of New Haven’s projects and initiatives under this plan are to mitigate coastal and urban flooding and strengthen community resilience and preparedness for storm events.
As part of the plan, City Plan Department annually prepares and provides an update on the progress of these projects and strategies for the public to review.
Laura Brown, Executive Director of the City Plan Department stated, “Preparedness for disasters means not only ensuring that we are ready to address immediate impacts but that we work diligently to reduce risks to residents and business in the long term through thoughtful land use planning and policy.”
These projects also complement the ongoing efforts of several other city departments, including the Office of Climate and Sustainability and the Engineering Department, to advance climate and environmental sustainability policies, practices, and initiatives.
These annual project updates are also a component of the City of New Haven’s participation in the FEMA Community Rating System (CRS), a “voluntary incentive program that recognizes and encourages community planning management practices that exceed the minimum requirements of the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP).”
Per FEMA, “in CRS communities, flood insurance premium rates are discounted to reflect the reduced flood risk resulting from the community’s efforts that address the three goals of the program: 1) Reduce and avoid flood damage to insurable property; 2) Strengthen and support the insurance aspects of the National Flood Insurance Program, and 3) Foster comprehensive floodplain management.”
New Haven’s participation in the program facilities flood insurance discounts of 15 percent for residents and New Haven is one of 1,500 communities nationwide that participate in the FEMA Community Rating System program.
