CUNY CREST and NOAA CESSRST II Co-Host Workshop with NWS and NYC Emergency Management Workshop on Urban Weather and Flooding

The CUNY Remote Sensing Earth System Institute  and the NOAA Center for Earth System Sciences and Remote Sensing Technologies II (NOAA CESSRST II) co-hosted a collaborative mini-workshop at The City College of New York (CCNY), welcoming teams from the National Weather Service (NWS) Upton and the New York City Emergency Management Department (NYCEM). The workshop focused on urban weather, flooding, forecasting, and emergency preparedness, creating an opportunity to connect operational needs with ongoing academic research.

The gathering brought together operational experts, researchers, faculty, and students for a two-way exchange of knowledge and perspectives. NWS and NYCEM representatives discussed their operational activities, as well as forecasting and warning needs. In turn, students from CUNY CREST, NOAA CESSRST II, and CCNY presented research related to New York City flooding and modeling and received feedback directly from practitioners.

The workshop concluded with an open discussion on research needs, potential collaborations, NOAA Experiential Research and Training Opportunities (NERTO), and next steps. The conversation helped strengthen connections between academic research and the real-world challenges faced by weather forecasting and emergency management professionals.

The visit also complemented the seminar, Weather Ready NYC: Forecasting, Warnings, and Urban Weather Challenges, featuring NWS Meteorologist in Charge Dave Radell and Warning Coordination Meteorologist Nelson Vaz.  The seminar covered NWS forecast and warning operations across the Tri-State area and current challenges associated with forecasting heavy rainfall in urban environments.

CUNY CREST and NOAA CESSRST II thank the NWS Upton and NYCEM teams, along with the students, faculty, and researchers who participated and contributed to the productive exchange. The workshop provided a foundation for continued conversations and future collaboration toward a more weather-ready and resilient New York City.