04/19/2007
Last Sunday’s record-setting nor’easter brought floodwaters through Hamilton and Old Howard Beach’s streets and increased calls from residents and leaders for the city to act before the next big storm strikes.
While the over seven-and-a-half inches of rain that fell through Monday morning wrecked havoc throughout the metropolitan area, Howard Beach residents reported two-and-a-half-foot-deep torrents climbing up their front porches when high tide came in Sunday evening.
“This is the worst it’s been in 10 years,” said Bobby Barnett, a resident of 160th Avenue in Old Howard Beach. Sweeping the debris left behind by the tide, he blamed the flooding on the area’s inadequate drainage system. Only one storm drain exists on both his block and Remsen Place, one street over on 102nd Street, and both run into a canal that is already overflowing during storms. Almost all of Hamilton Beach and Old Howard Beach, areas that are both are below grade, suffer from the lack of adequate storm drain systems.
Because of the perennial flooding issue, many took precautions before Sunday’s storm. Denise Graffagino, who lives on 163rd Road in Hamilton Beach, parked her car in a spot in Old Howard Beach that typically does not flood. Making the walk to her Toyota on Monday in the rain, she said she planned ahead to make it to her office on Long Island. “There’s nothing else you can do,” Graffagino said.
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Last Sunday’s record-setting nor’easter brought floodwaters through Hamilton and Old Howard Beach’s streets and increased calls from residents and leaders for the city to act before the next big storm strikes.While the over seven-and-a-half inches of rain that fell through Monday morning wrecked havoc throughout the metropolitan area, Howard Beach residents reported two-and-a-half-foot-deep torrents climbing up their front porches when high tide came in Sunday evening.
“This is the worst it’s been in 10 years,” said Bobby Barnett, a resident of 160th Avenue in Old Howard Beach. Sweeping the debris left behind by the tide, he blamed the flooding on the area’s inadequate drainage system. Only one storm drain exists on both his block and Remsen Place, one street over on 102nd Street, and both run into a canal that is already overflowing during storms. Almost all of Hamilton Beach and Old Howard Beach, areas that are both are below grade, suffer from the lack of adequate storm drain systems.
Because of the perennial flooding issue, many took precautions before Sunday’s storm. Denise Graffagino, who lives on 163rd Road in Hamilton Beach, parked her car in a spot in Old Howard Beach that typically does not flood. Making the walk to her Toyota on Monday in the rain, she said she planned ahead to make it to her office on Long Island. “There’s nothing else you can do,” Graffagino said.
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