· By Unified Public Advocacy
Brooklyn occupies the southwestern tip of Long Island, bounded by Upper New York Bay, Lower New York Bay, Jamaica Bay, and the Rockaway Inlet. That geography places large portions of Kings County in FEMA-designated Special Flood Hazard Areas. In October 2012, Superstorm Sandy made landfall near Atlantic City and generated a storm surge that inundated coastal Brooklyn neighborhoods including Red Hook, Coney Island, Sea Gate, and Gerritsen Beach — causing billions of dollars in property damage across the borough.
If your Brooklyn property has sustained flood damage, the steps you take in the first 24 to 72 hours — and the documentation you create — will determine the strength of your insurance claim.
Flood risk in Brooklyn
- FEMA Flood Zone AE (high-risk) areas include Red Hook, Carroll Gardens near the waterfront, Coney Island, Sea Gate, Brighton Beach, Manhattan Beach, Gerritsen Beach, Mill Basin, and Canarsie.
- Jamaica Bay's tidal flooding affects the southeastern shore of Brooklyn including Marine Park and Floyd Bennett Field.
- Storm surge from major hurricanes or nor'easters can push water from the harbor into low-lying streets well inland of the shoreline.
- Sewer backups during heavy rainfall are a separate, common source of interior flood damage in Brooklyn — often covered differently under your policy than surface flooding.
What to inspect after a flood
- The exterior waterline and the path water took onto the property — photograph the high-water mark on foundation walls and door frames.
- Flooring, drywall, insulation, and structural framing for saturation; water wicks upward inside wall cavities.
- Electrical panels, wiring, HVAC equipment, appliances, and water heaters that were submerged or splashed.
- Basement and crawlspace for standing water, sump pump function, and evidence of sewage backup.
- Mold indicators — musty odor, staining, or discoloration — which can appear within 24 to 48 hours of flooding.
What to do in the first 72 hours
- Do not re-enter until local authorities confirm the structure is safe and utilities have been inspected.
- Photograph and video every affected area before any cleanup begins — the exterior, each room, contents, and the full extent of water intrusion.
- Keep damaged materials in place until your insurance company's adjuster has inspected; do not discard flooring, drywall, or wet contents.
- Keep all receipts for emergency mitigation work — water extraction, drying equipment rental, temporary board-up, or emergency plumbing.
- Report the loss to your insurer promptly; write down the claim number and the name of every adjuster you speak with.
- If you have a National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) policy, that is a separate claim from your homeowner's policy — notify both carriers.
Your rights under New York insurance law
Under New York Insurance Regulation 64 (11 NYCRR Part 216), your insurer must acknowledge your claim within 15 business days of receiving notice and must accept or deny the claim within 15 business days of receiving a complete proof of loss. If your claim is denied or you believe the settlement offer is inadequate, you can file a complaint with the New York Department of Financial Services at dfs.ny.gov.
If you hire a public adjuster to represent you, New York Insurance Law § 2108 caps the public adjuster fee at 12.5% of the settlement for standard losses. For losses declared a state disaster emergency, the cap is 10%. The public adjuster must provide a written contract before beginning work.
How Unified Public Advocacy can help
Unified Public Advocacy is a 501(c)(3) non-profit public adjusting firm that represents property and business owners — not insurance companies. When a claim is disputed, underpaid, or built from a single insurer inspection, Unified Public Advocacy independently documents the loss, reads the policy, and re-presents the claim with the evidence to support it.
Unified Public Advocacy never takes a penny out of a property or business owner's pocket — the fee is covered by the overhead and profit built into the insurance settlement itself. If your Brooklyn property sustained flood damage, you can reach Unified Public Advocacy at 1-855-944-3473.
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Claim Denied or Underpaid? UPA Can Help
UPA is a 501(c)(3) non-profit public adjusting firm. If a loss like this one left you with a denied claim or a settlement that didn't cover the damage, we document the loss and fight for the full amount your policy owes — at no cost out of pocket.