The remnants from Hurricane Ida in September 2021 caused unprecedented rainfall and inland flooding in New York City (NYC) and resulted in many immediate deaths. We reviewed death records (electronic death certificates and medical examiner reports) to systematically document the circumstances of death and demographics of decedents to inform injury prevention and climate adaptation actions for future extreme precipitation events. There were 14 Ida-related injury deaths in NYC, of which 13 (93%) were directly caused by Ida, and 1 (7%) was indirectly related. Most decedents were Asian (71%) and foreign-born (71%). The most common circumstance of death was drowning in unregulated basement apartments (71%). Themes that emerged from the death records review included the suddenness of flooding, inadequate exits, nighttime risks, and multiple household members were sometimes affected. These deaths reflect interacting housing and climate crises, and their disproportionate impact on disadvantaged populations needing safe and affordable housing. Climate adaptation actions, such as improving stormwater management infrastructure, informing residents about flood risk, implementing Federal Emergency Management Agency recommendations to make basements safer, and expanding emergency notification measures can mitigate risk. As climate change increases extreme precipitation events, multi-layered efforts are needed to keep residents safe.

During the summer of 2022, several regions worldwide, including Iran, were subjected to intense monsoon rains, resulting in significant adverse impacts on the health, economy, and social well-being of affected populations. However, by focusing on adaptation and resilience measures, not only could the negative consequences of this phenomenon be mitigated, but as evidenced by other countries, the opportunity presented by rainwater could be utilized to promote development, health, and socioeconomic welfare in these areas. This concise report aims to explore the lessons learned from this phenomenon, including its strengths and weaknesses.

Flood is the most common natural hazard in Iran, which annually affects the environment and human lives. On March 25, 2019 in Shiraz-Iran, following a heavy rainfall, the occurrence of a flash flood caused an extensive number of deaths, injuries, and vehicle demolitions in a short time. Evidence suggests that man-made causes of the incident, including unsustainable urban development and lack of early warning services, have played a more influential role compared with its natural causes. This study has attempted to substantiate that understanding disaster risks, as the first priority of Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction (SFDRR) 2015-2030, directly impacts the decisions and actions of policymakers, local authorities, and the public. To provide more safety, mitigation, and disaster risk reduction, attention should primarily be paid on making a cultural paradigm shift through providing sufficient training in developing appropriate disaster risk perception in the community at large.