In Canarsie, a Flood Map Is Seen as Long Overdue

Stefan Leon, 19, whose Canarsie home was flooded by Hurricane Sandy, said of the new flood map, “It’s good for future reference, but it’s too late for what’s already happened."  Michael Nagle for The New York Times

nytimes.com - by Cara Buckley - January 30, 2013

When the federal government introduced new maps this week showing a marked increase in flood-prone areas near New York City’s coast, the general sentiment in Canarsie, Brooklyn — much of which is newly in a flood zone — was, “What took them so long?”

The neighborhood is scant blocks from Jamaica Bay, pancake flat and a stone’s throw from the auspiciously titled Fresh Creek. It’s where, the story goes, local residents once beseeched the city to erect a wall to guard them from a tidal surge. And it’s where, as Hurricane Sandy hit, floodwaters raced through the streets, beat down doors to fill basements and chased inhabitants clutching computers, clothes and rescued pets to upper floors.

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