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New Rochelle releases draft climate vulnerability assessment; officials plan heat-emergency and resiliency-hub work
Summary
City consultants presented a draft Climate Vulnerability Assessment (CVA) describing rising temperatures, flooding risks and community impacts. City staff said grants were secured to develop a heat emergency plan and to design a network of ‘resiliency hubs’ and that the CVA will help target future capital and grant work.
New Rochelle officials on Wednesday presented a draft Climate Vulnerability Assessment that maps rising temperatures, inland and coastal flooding risks and other climate hazards and outlines a set of recommendations — from green infrastructure and building retrofits to a network of distributed “resiliency hubs.”
The assessment was presented by Gary Sorge, vice president of Stantec Consulting Services, and reviewed by Commissioner Sarah Salgado of the Department of Development and Deputy Commissioner Seth Kaye. Sorge said the study drew on community outreach and modeling for the 2023–24 period and that about 300 residents completed the online survey used in the assessment.
The report identifies heat as a leading near-term risk. “Heat is the number 1 killer as a result of climate change,” Sorge said, citing survey results showing “76% of respondents are unable to enjoy the outdoors because of prolonged periods of heat.” The draft also reports that roughly 20% of respondents say they cannot afford utility bills in winter and that respondents reported widespread power loss and flooding during storms.
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