Basement apartment flooding is one of the most dangerous kinds of flood in New York City, and it is mostly a rain problem, not a coastal one. A below-ground room can fill fast in a cloudburst, and its only way out may be a single door at the top of a short flight of stairs. This post is for anyone who lives in a basement, cellar or garden-level apartment.
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What Ida showed
In September 2021, rain from Hurricane Ida fell faster than it could drain away. NYC Health reports record rainfall of 3.5 inches an hour in some areas, against a sewer capacity of 1.75 inches an hour, and the National Weather Service issued its first-ever flash flood emergency warning for New York City. Fourteen people died from causes related to Ida; most of them, 10 people or 71%, drowned in unregulated (illegal) basement apartments.
Sandy, nine years earlier, was a different storm, but basements mattered there too: NYC Health records that at least one third of those who drowned at home were found in a basement or lived in a basement apartment. Its conclusion is that rainfall flooding can happen anywhere in the city, and that basement apartments are at higher risk.
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When to leave
- When a flash flood warning is issued for your area and you live below ground, move up to a neighbor’s apartment, a friend’s home or the street level of the building before the rain peaks.
- When water starts coming in under the door, through a window or up through a drain, leave at once. Do not stay to save belongings.
- Do not try to open a door that has water pressing against it from the outside; use another way out if there is one.
- Before hurricane season, look up your evacuation zone with NYC Emergency Management’s Hurricane Evacuation Zone Finder or by calling 311. Zone 1 is the most likely to flood from surge.
Keep a small bag ready by the door during storm warnings: phone and charger, keys, medicines and documents. Everything else can be replaced.
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Once the water drops
Do not go back down while water is still rising or rain is still falling. When it has stopped, safety comes before cleanup. The CDC says turn off the main power only from a dry place; if you would have to step into water to reach it, call an electrician. Never switch power on or off while standing in water. If you smell gas, close the main valve, open the windows and leave. And never run a generator inside: the EPA says outside only, at least 20 feet from the building.
Then photograph everything before anything is moved. The basement flooding in NYC guide covers pumping out, cleanup and drying.
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Your landlord and your rights
Tell your landlord in writing that the apartment flooded, and keep a copy. NYC Health says owners of buildings with three or more apartments must keep tenants’ homes free of mold, including safely repairing underlying problems like water leaks, and Local Law 55 of 2018 requires those owners to fix the conditions that cause mold. NYC HPD says that if a landlord does not fix the hazard, or the repair work is not being done safely, a tenant can file a complaint online or call 311.
This site cannot tell you whether a particular unit is legal or what your lease allows. For questions about your tenancy after a flood, ask a lawyer or a tenant organization.
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Your belongings
FloodHelpNY says flood damage to a renter’s contents is not likely to be covered by renter’s insurance, and that flood insurance for contents is purchased separately. If you live below ground, ask an agent about contents flood cover before the next storm, and check your own policy. The flood insurance basics page sets out the general rules.
If your building owner is looking at stopping the next flood, the post on preventing basement flooding covers the city’s rules and options.
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Questions people ask
Why are basement apartments so dangerous in a flood?
They can fill quickly when rain outruns the sewers, and often have one way out. NYC Health reports that 10 of the 14 deaths from Ida were drownings in unregulated basement apartments.
What should I do if my basement apartment floods?
Leave for higher ground as soon as water comes in. Return only when the water has stopped, make the power and gas safe, photograph everything and tell your landlord in writing.
Does renters insurance cover a flooded basement apartment?
FloodHelpNY says a renter’s contents are not likely to be covered by renter’s insurance after a flood; contents flood insurance is bought separately. Check your own policy or agent.
NowWater in the building?
Tell us where and what happened, and an independent local provider can contact you.