A “cloudburst” is a sudden, heavy downpour where a substantial amount of rain falls in a short amount of time. Cloudbursts can damage property, disrupt critical infrastructure, and pollute rivers and other waterbodies. New York City has undergone a major initiative to implement infrastructure that will absorb, store and transfer stormwater to minimize flooding during cloudburst events. More than $400 million has been invested in green infrastructure projects in Queens, the Bronx and Brooklyn.

Working for New York City Department of Design and Construction (DDC) in association with New York City Department of Environmental Protection, MJ was responsible for mapping flood-critical areas in Kissena, Queens and Brownsville, Brooklyn.

Under an aggressive timeline, MJ provided topographic, utility, and right-of-way mapping of these two high-priority areas. MJ provided mobile mapping data collection using both wearable and vehicle-mounted laser scanning systems.

MJ delivered traditional mapping to DDC along with an MJ4D digital twin deliverable. Through MJ4D, the entire project team can view and interact with a digital twin of these areas soon to be transformed into water retaining urban landscapes.