In addition to preparing for climate change, the city has also been doing its part to prevent it.

It recently won an award from the C-40 -- a coalition of green-minded international cities -- for cutting carbon dioxide emissions nearly 20% from government-owned buildings and operations.

The city aims to build on that progress, and in September announced an even more ambitious goal of reducing emissions 80% by 2050 citywide, largely through efficiency upgrades.

It's also strived to improve air quality, partly through the planting of 800,000 trees over the past few years. New York now has the fourth cleanest air of any big city in the country.