New York’s deadly basement apartments face growing flooding risk
Many of the roughly 100,000 units are illegal and do not conform to codes, making them a hazard for fires and floods
By Samantha Maldonado, The Guardian
Josh Alba had lived in an illegal basement apartment in Queens, New York, for almost five years. Despite the low ceilings, he savored his chance to afford housing without roommates. But his tenure there ended during Hurricane Ida.
He’d been asleep on his couch as the rain started falling. He only woke up when his cat smacked him in the face, and he noticed water coming in from outside, rising to at least an inch on the floor.
Alba wrapped his cat in a blanket and texted his landlord, who unlocked the door to upstairs through which he escaped. Later, he said, the water broke down the door leading outside from the basement, and the floods came up to about 5ft, toppling the refrigerator and ruining most of his belongings.
“I could’ve died if I didn’t wake up,” he said. Now 35, Alba lives in Bushwick, Brooklyn, with roommates, paying just $300 less for his room than he had paid for his former basement apartment.
In September 2021, Hurricane Ida deluged New York City with floodwaters and record rainfall – and killed 13 New Yorkers, including 11 who drowned in basement homes.
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