Mitigating Flood Risk and the Impacts of Climate Change at the World Trade Center
As part of Hurricane Sandy recovery efforts, Baker is helping the Port Authority of New York mitigate
flood risk at the World Trade Center site as part of New York City’s resiliency plan. This session will show
how Baker analyzed the effects of climate change on flood hazards and designed mitigation strategies to
ensure continuity of operations at the World Trade Center following a storm surge event.
Baker performed a flood vulnerability assessment for the site and developed a comprehensive water
intrusion protection plan for the 60 acres and 10 mixed-use facilities on the World Trade Center
complex, including the National September 11 Memorial, pavilion, and museum and North America’s
tallest skyscraper, the iconic One World Trade. Additionally, Baker used our knowledge of the NFIP and
FEMA’s grant programs to advise the Port Authority on mitigation grant opportunities.
The plan is based on a comprehensive flood risk assessment and analysis of site-wide vulnerabilities,
including:
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water-level and coastal storm surge analyses with future climate change,
economic feasibility analyses for improvement alternatives,
hydraulic analysis of building interiors, and
mapping of potential flooding inside basements
Baker’s water intrusion protection plan included concrete mitigation actions that the Port Authority
could undertake to reduce their vulnerability to flood waters and sea level rise. For each recommended
mitigation action, such as the conceptual bollard protection system and portable flood fencing, Baker
created an estimated order of magnitude cost, developed an economic feasibility of each proposed
strategy, and recommended actionable steps to implementing each mitigation action.
With the planning-phase efforts completed, Baker currently is designing site-wide mitigation efforts,
including structural design of the bollard protection system.
To be presented by:
Mark Osler, Assistant Vice President
Michael Baker Jr., Inc.
Alexandria, VA