DAMAGE PATTERNS INUNDATION Bounded by the Lower Bay to the south and by Coney Island Creek to the north, the low-lying landscape of Coney Island is vulnerable to flooding even during mild storms. The natural capacity of the landscape to handle flooding and storm surge was eliminated over the course of development, through several major alterations: The tidal wetland along Coney Island Creek was infilled to make way for the expansion of the urban grid, Coney Island was connected to the mainland of Brooklyn by a land-bridge, and the soft perimeter of the nonbeach areas of the island was replaced by hardscaping. In October, as Sandy hit the shoreline, rising water from the bay and creek, as well as sewer overflow, all contributed to the flooding of the neighborhood. Residents and business owners in the northern-most areas of the community along the creek experienced the most substantial flooding. Across the neighborhood, residents estimated an average of 3.5 feet of flooding, ranging from 6” at minimum to almost 8 feet at the deepest.
SAND Storm surge from the southern side of Coney Island pushed back the sand from the beach in significant quantities. At the time of survey, several of these sand piles remained to be dealt with, including one adjacent to one of the NYCHA buildings.
HOUSING The field team spoke with the owners and residents of 36+ buildings, which were representative of the building typologies and damage patterns found throughout the neighborhood. Of these buildings, 61% had remaining damage, the majority of which was cited as severe. Two properties were inaccessible, at least one building had tenants move out as a result of damages incurred, and another building had 3 tenants occupying it even though it was deemed legally unoccupiable. There are two predominant private housing typologies in Coney Island:
PRE-WAR HOMES The majority of these homes, built before World War II, are two to three storeys and include a basement level, which were, in many cases, occupied as living spaces prior to Hurricane Sandy. There are several characteristics of these homes that contributed to their vulnerability and damage during Sandy: • Basement levels were located 5-6 feet below grade and, in many cases, were completely flooded. The water had to be pumped out of the basements after the storm. • Windows and vents located just above the sidewalk and exterior stairs to the basement level aided the infiltration of water below grade. • Mechanical, electrical, and plumbing systems were typically located in the basement level or on the first floor. In nearly all cases, these systems were damaged and incurred high costs for repair.
PREFABRICATED HOMES The prefabricated homes, developed by Astella, were typically built with the first floor 4 feet above grade, with a crawl space in lieu of a basement. These homes, on average, had approximately 1 to 3 feet of flooding on the first floor. They also suffered more wind damage to siding and roofing than the prewar homes, which were typically clad in brick. A few of these homes were designed with the mechanical, electrical, and plumbing systems located on the second floor, which saved homeowners costs associated with replacement and enabled them to repair their homes more quickly. Across all of the housing typologies, in many cases appliances, such as refrigerators, washers, and dryers, were destroyed
ARCHITECTURE FOR HUMANITY NEW YORK
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