NYC’s most intense rainstorms have all arrived within the past few years, falling on a drainage system largely built for rainfall patterns from more than a century ago. Across the city, more than 152,000 catch basins—the grated storm drains lining our curbs—serve as the first line of defense against flooding. When these grates become blocked with leaves and litter, rainwater cannot enter the drainage system, causing water to back up onto streets and sidewalks.

While NYC continues to invest in long-term infrastructure improvements, keeping catch basin grates clear is one simple action every New Yorker can take today.

Rainproof’s Day of Action: Catch Basin Cleanup is a community event that brought New Yorkers together to help reduce neighborhood flooding in Flatbush, Brooklyn, by clearing catch basin grates. 

Just last year, the neighborhood experienced the loss of a neighbor’s life during the October 30th storm. In partnership with Brooklyn Level Up, the event celebrates local leadership and collective action by bringing together local partners and volunteers to clean catch basin grates, learn about flood preparedness, and demonstrate that everyone has a role to play in building a more rainproof New York. 

This inaugural Day of Action was held in honor of Ibrahim Abdul-Matin and launched the new Rainproof NYC Ibrahim Abdul-Matin Rainproof Fellowship. Ibrahim was a leader who spent his career building bridges between agencies, communities, and ideas, exemplifying collaboration, environmental stewardship, and community leadership. We aim to honor that legacy through service.