REGIONAL READY ROCKAWAY
Regional Ready Rockaway strengthens waterfront and coastal communities throughout Rockaway and Queens by providing disaster relief, building community resilience, and connecting vulnerable communities with government services and resources.
HURRICANE SEASON 2026
HURRICANE SEASON 2026
82 DAYS REMAINING
Until Atlantic Hurricane Season Ends
Prepare Today • Stay Informed • Stay Ready
Our Mission
Protecting the shore. Preparing the community. Connecting people to government.
Regional Ready Rockaway works to protect and strengthen waterfront and coastal communities across Rockaway and Queens. We help residents prepare for disasters, respond to emergencies, recover after crises, and build greater resilience for the future.
We place particular emphasis on vulnerable, predominantly Black coastal communities and work to ensure residents can access the government programs, services, resources, and infrastructure intended to serve them.
What We Do
Regional Ready Rockaway protects and strengthens coastal communities by connecting preparedness, disaster response, government resources, and community resilience.
🌊 Coastal Resilience
We work to strengthen Rockaway and Queens waterfront communities against flooding, severe storms, coastal hazards, and other threats—while advocating for long-term solutions that make our neighborhoods safer and more resilient.
🛟 Disaster Preparedness & Relief
We help residents prepare before disasters happen and connect communities with information, assistance, and resources during emergencies and throughout the recovery process.
🏛️ Community & Government
We serve as a bridge between residents and government, helping vulnerable coastal communities understand and access public programs, services, emergency resources, and infrastructure investments intended to serve them.
💡 Innovation & Technology
We explore new technologies and community-driven solutions that can improve disaster preparedness and coastal resilience—from better communication and early-warning systems to projects such as FloodHive, our concept for an AI-powered network of wireless flood sensors.
Our Story
The Vision of Dr. Edward Williams
Regional Ready Rockaway was founded by the late
Dr. Edward Williams, a longtime Far Rockaway community leader and advocate
for disaster preparedness, emergency management, climate justice,
affordable housing, and healthcare access.
Long before Hurricane Sandy devastated New York City's coastal communities, Dr. Williams recognized the vulnerability of the Rockaway peninsula to flooding and severe storms. His experience helping coordinate support and resources following Hurricane Katrina reinforced his conviction that communities like Rockaway needed to be prepared before disaster arrived.
That vision became Regional Ready Rockaway—an organization dedicated to helping residents of the Rockaway peninsula and surrounding coastal communities prepare for climate-related disasters while connecting vulnerable communities with government, resources, and recovery services.
Dr. Williams passed away in January 2024, but his work continues. Today, Regional Ready Rockaway carries his vision forward by strengthening coastal resilience, improving disaster preparedness, connecting communities with government, and developing new approaches to protecting the people who call Rockaway home.
His legacy lives on in the community he prepared, the leaders he mentored, and the work that continues in his name.
Dr. Ed Williams Way
In recognition of his decades of service, a Far Rockaway street was named Dr. Ed Williams Way at Village Road and Redfern Avenue. In 2024, the Waterfront Alliance also established the inaugural Dr. Edward Williams Waterfront Champion Award, honoring those advancing community resilience in the face of systemic injustice and the climate crisis.
Dr. Williams was able to see the street bearing his name before his passing in January 2024. In September 2024, community leaders, family, friends, and colleagues gathered in Far Rockaway for the official street unveiling.
His legacy also continues through the Dr. Edward Williams Waterfront Champion Award, established by the Waterfront Alliance to recognize individuals and community organizations advancing resilience in the face of systemic injustice and the climate crisis.
Building a More Resilient Rockaway
Resilience takes a community. We bring residents, emergency responders, government agencies, community organizations, and partners together to help protect Rockaway's coastal neighborhoods.
