The Interim Flood Protection Measures program is designed to protect critical facilities, infrastructure, and low-lying areas in New York City from flooding caused by a hurricane.

NYC Emergency Management manages the IFPM program in collaboration with the Mayor's Office of Resiliency, and several other City agencies.

Interim flood protection measures are meant to provide a temporary level of protection while permanent mitigation is constructed at the site. In many cases, these measures will be deployed for less than five years, while some are deployed for longer.

IFPM and other resiliency measures are designed to reduce and minimize coastal flood damage, but cannot protect against all storm events.

The measures used in the IFPM program provide a lower level of protection than permanent systems may offer. More severe storms have the potential to overtop or breach the IFPM installation. In addition, these measures are not designed to reduce flooding from rain events.

A HESCO® barrier.

A Tiger Dam™.

A flood barrier panel.

The flood protection measures include:

• HESCO® barriers: fabric-lined wire mesh cubes filled with compacted sand. These are often pre-deployed and placed where they do not impede traffic or use of a site.
• Tiger Dams™: giant water-filled flexible fabric tubes designed to withstand floodwaters that are deployed 24 to 72 hours before a coastal storm.
• Flood barriers: aluminum-based "walls" that can be placed in doorways, garages, and other open areas into a building that are deployed "just in time."

The flood protection measures are located in low-lying areas throughout the city that are vulnerable to coastal flooding. A list of locations can be provided on request.

Planning and site selections for these flood protection measures began in August 2016. The first sites were installed in 2016 with installation at additional sites continuing through 2021.

The City worked with engineering consultants and agencies to evaluate the flood risks at each site, and determined what measure(s) would best reduce flood risk while having the smallest impact to the neighborhood. All sites have engineered design drawings and have received all necessary permits and approvals.

"Just-in-time" flood protection measures are deployed as close to the onset of tropical-storm-force winds as possible because they may affect vehicular and pedestrian access. The City coordinates the just-in-time deployment using an emergency contractor up to 72 hours before the storm's arrival.

These measures, especially those that affect access to streets and residences, will be removed as soon as possible following a storm.

Yes. If the City issues an evacuation order for your area, do so as directed. The City will communicate through local media specific instructions about which areas of the city should evacuate. These measures are not designed to prevent evacuation, but to reduce damage. For more information on evacuation zones, go to NYC.gov/knowyourzone.

IFPM worked closely with the NYC Mayor's Office for People with Disabilities and the NYC Department of Transportation to ensure that regular daily accessibility is not affected. In some cases, during a just-in-time deployment and in conjunction with an evacuation order, alternate routes may need to be used. Affected communities are notified about these potential changes.

If measures in your neighborhood appear damaged or defective in any way, please notify the City through 311 (212-639-9675 for Video Relay Service, or TTY: 212-504-4115).

Contact the Interim Flood Protection Measures program through the contact webform or call 311 (212-639-9675 for Video Relay Service, or TTY: 212-504-4115).