Case Study: NY Power Authority Chooses Hammerhead™ Aluminum Flood Log System – Queens, New York
CLIENT:
New York Power Authority (NYPA), Queens Facility
The New York Power Authority is a public benefit corporation wholly owned by the State of New York and stands as the largest state public power utility in the entire United States. NYPA operates a total of 16 power plants spread strategically across New York State, including a vital power generation facility situated along the East River in Queens, New York City. This facility plays a crucial role in ensuring a reliable energy supply to one of the most densely populated and economically significant areas in the country.
31-03 20th Rd, Astoria, NY 11105 | New York Power Authority - Queens Facility
CHALLENGE:
Located near the East River, the New York Power Queens facility is particularly vulnerable to flooding caused by major coastal storms and hurricanes, such as Hurricane Sandy.
While the facility narrowly avoided flooding during Sandy, the water rose alarmingly close to the ground floor, posing a serious threat to operations. Just a slight change in the storm’s path could have resulted in devastating and costly flood damage.
The facility had relied on an older, outdated and antiquated flood protection system that was both difficult to install and challenging to maintain effectively.
With climate trends clearly pointing to increased flood risks driven by rising sea levels and warming waters, the need for a reliable, modern, and efficient protection system became critically urgent.
GOAL:
To significantly enhance the overall flood resiliency of the New York Power Authority Queens facility by replacing its aging and outdated flood defense system with a more robust, easy-to-deploy, and technically superior solution specifically engineered to withstand extreme weather conditions.
This vital upgrade is designed to ensure continuous, reliable power generation while effectively safeguarding critical infrastructure throughout future severe weather events, thereby minimizing operational downtime and reducing the risk of costly damage.
SOLUTION:
Garrison Flood Control’s Hammerhead™ Aluminum Flood Log System was selected for its engineering rigor, ease of deployment, and proven reliability in high-risk flood environments.
The facility is located in an AE 13 flood zone, meaning the area has a 1% annual change of flooding to the 13ft level. Based on the AE 13 and the lowest finished floor elevation of the structure, the NY Power Authority required an 8 plank high, or 5.25ft level of protection.
Garrison conducted site visits to take precise measurements and design a custom flood protection plan tailored to the unique vulnerabilities of the facility.
A major component of the project included removing the outdated flood panels and repairing the damaged, rusted thresholds to create a structurally sound installation surface for the new system.
HIGHLY EFFECTIVE CRITICAL FLOOD CONTROL SOLUTION
One complex area of the facility was the dock leveler zone, which posed a significant flood risk. Garrison designed a creative interior barrier system positioned just inside the dock levelers and bay doors. This solution created a seamless flood wall that closed off potential water entry points.
“Thanks to Garrison’s technical expertise and their Hammerhead Flood Barrier System, our teams now feel confident in our ability to respond swiftly and effectively during a flood event. The installation was seamless, and the system’s engineering speaks for itself.”
The Hammerhead flood barrier system was thoroughly evaluated by a local engineering team to verify its structural performance. Garrison’s commitment to quality assurance—utilizing finite element analysis, computational fluid dynamics, and physical testing—played a key role in NYPA’s decision-making process.
Installation was completed by Garrison’s experienced technicians, who remained on-site for a week to ensure proper fit, finish, and training for NYPA personnel.
SUMMARY:
The flood protection upgrade at the New York Power Authority’s Queens facility is a proactive step toward ensuring the continuity of energy services, security and resiliency in the face of extreme weather events. The Hammerhead Aluminum Flood-Log System can handle extreme heights of flood protection, the custom fabricated Aluminum Panels for NYP offers 5.25ft of protection above the lowest finished floor height, sufficient to handle the stresses in a AE 13 flood-prone zone.
With the new Hammerhead™ Flood-Log Barrier in place, NYPA is confident in its ability to maintain operations during future storms and safeguard vital infrastructure that powers New York City.
The flood mitigation project demonstrates how forward-thinking utilities can modernize their flood protection strategies while supporting broader regional efforts like New York City’s Coastal Resiliency initiative.
GARRISON’S HAMMERHEAD ALUMINUM FLOOD PLANK SYSTEM
When it comes to flood protection, Garrison’s Hammerhead Barrier stands out:
For more information on the Hammerhead Flood Log System, feel free to contact us directly!
Garrison™ Flood Control is a New York-based manufacturer and distributor of a complete line of flood control products. Garrison products contain, divert, and re-route water away from valuable property, equipment, infrastructure, and facilities and help prevent flood damage due to rising water levels.
For additional information about Garrison Flood Control Systems, please call 929-299-2099 or email sales@garrisonflood.com.
