Long Island Sound

The USGS Compound Flooding map is an interactive tool developed by the U.S. Geological Survey’s New York Water Science Center that helps users explore the combined risk of multiple flooding drivers across the New York and Long Island coastal region, including Long Island Sound watersheds. Compound flooding refers to flooding that happens when more than one type of water hazard occurs at the same time for example, heavy rainfall, high tides or storm surge, and rising groundwater which can lead to more severe and widespread inundation than from any single cause alone. This type of flooding is increasingly relevant as sea level rise and intense storms interact with land and groundwater conditions. 

The map visually displays hazard rankings and spatial patterns of flood drivers so that planners, emergency managers, researchers, and the public can better understand where overlapping flood risks are most significant. It supports local decision making for flood mitigation, coastal planning, and resilience strategies by showing how precipitation, coastal flooding, and groundwater emergence can coincide to create elevated threat levels. The site is grounded in ongoing USGS research into regional flood processes and compound flood hazards, with data useful for watershed planning, infrastructure assessment, and risk communication

The free in person event centers on “People of the Sound” that emphasizes the needs that communities around the Long Island Sound Estuary face. The goal of the Learning Exchange event is for people to come together for shared learning and collaboration, although more detailed information on the event agenda will become available in due time.

The conference will occur at the Queens Museum and is sponsored by Restore America’s Estuaries. LISCIF will partner with Tribes and communities to provide information on resource development and capacity building opportunities. This conference is free and open to the general public. Please register to help provide information regarding dietary restrictions, interpreters needed, or childcare requests. Information is accessible to those who speak English and Spanish.

The Long Island Sound Community Impact Fund (LISCIF) is hosting the Connecticut State-Wide Learning Exchange, a full day and in person gathering focused on “People of the Sound.” This event will bring together tribal groups, organizations, institutions, and community members to discuss needs, environmental impacts, and community access along the Long Island Sound estuary, while identifying resources and opportunities for capacity building. The event is free and open to the public. Please register to help the organizers plan for dietary, interpretation, and childcare needs.

The Long Island Sound Stewardship Fund 2026 is now open and supports nonprofit work that helps protect and restore the health and living resources of Long Island Sound. Funding is available for efforts that strengthen organizations (capacity building), build new collaborations, or support piloting tools and planning that increases environmental and natural resource impact.