Battery Park City, which is served by a nearby substation, never lost power during the storm, so the pumps kept working. On the flooded level, there was some damage to the blackwater system but not to other mechanical equipment nearby, because it was elevated three feet on concrete pedestals.

At grade, stormwater never breached the perimeter except at the two vestibules. The minimal damage had "a lot to do with construction," says a source with Millennium who declined to be identified.

Opened in 2006, the building was built according to strict BPC requirements for a flood zone. "It is a well-made and tightly sealed building," says the source.