Cloudbursts—sudden and intense rainfalls—can cause severe flooding, property damage, and even fatalities. New York City’s Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) is addressing these risks through its new cloudburst mitigation efforts, which include retention tanks, bioswales, and permeable pavement. These systems absorb, store, and transfer rainwater, making neighborhoods more resilient to flooding and improving water quality. DEP also supports this with major infrastructure upgrades—sewer improvements, green infrastructure projects, and stream daylighting.

Corona, Queens, is a vibrant, diverse neighborhood with one of the largest and most densely populated immigrant communities in the city, primarily from Latin America and Asia. Corona’s low-lying topography and history of discriminatory urban planning practices, akin to redlining, make it highly vulnerable to cloudbursts. Frequent flooding disrupts daily life and damages infrastructure, particularly for some of New York City’s most vulnerable residents. Dense populations, impermeable surfaces, and inadequate drainage led DEP to select Corona as one of four hubs for its cloudburst management pilot plan. Many parts of Corona, especially near Flushing Meadows Corona Park—formerly marshland—lie at low elevations. Heavy rains often overwhelm the sewer system, leading to street flooding and even water entering buildings, a particularly dire issue in a neighborhood where many basements are used as housing.

In response, CALL’s Cloudburst Initiative (CCI) collaborates with DEP to bring together artists, scientists, and local communities, ensuring all voices are included and engaged in the success of the project.

Founded by artist Mary Miss in 2011, CALL works with urban communities to address urgent environmental issues through art and science. CALL connects environmental challenges to personal experiences, fostering action by combining creativity and technical knowledge. CALL envisions sustainable, equitable urban communities and thriving ecosystems brought to life through collaborative partnerships.

The CCI in Corona continues this approach, highlighting how art and science can address environmental challenges and empower communities. In June 2024, CALL launched CCI with a public walk in Corona led by Mary Miss, ecologist Eric Sanderson, and Christian Cassagnol, District Manager of Queens Community Board 4. The walk explored the neighborhood’s flooding issues, historic ecology, and the role of community knowledge in creating sustainable, resilient solutions.

CALL is forming an advisory committee of local organizations and a community committee of residents to guide the project. Partnerships have already been established with key stakeholders, including the Hall of Science, Queens Museum, Queens Economic Development Corporation, and the Guardians of Flushing Bay. These partnerships will ensure that CCI activities remain rooted in community needs and perspectives, directly influencing DEP’s work.

As part of CCI, Mary Miss will develop a conceptual framework to address cloudburst impacts. This framework will serve as a guiding document, keeping the project focused on understanding and mitigating these intense rain events. Through this framework, walks, public engagement, and artistic collaboration, CCI will raise awareness about the environmental histories and current challenges of cloudburst sites. Local residents will have opportunities to co-create events and projects that address flooding while helping shape DEP’s approach to other cloudburst-prone areas. Public engagement will also highlight DEP’s efforts to mitigate flooding and inspire community advocacy for green infrastructure solutions.