NEW YORK — There was frustration Friday among New Yorkers dealing with flooded basements and damaged properties.
The storm drains simply could not handle the heavy rain the day before.
The water has since gone down, but the flooding was so bad that one restaurant owner told CBS New York she would have had to swim across the street to get to her front door.
Instead, he watched the water rise on his surveillance cameras, and by the time the flood subsided, his outdoor dining structure had been washed away.
That’s just one New Yorker’s story, but this storm reached everyone.
Whether you were driving in the FDR or chasing waterfalls on the subway, you were almost certainly affected by the endless downpour that fell on New York City on Friday.
Commuters struggled to get to and from work, with most subway lines disrupted and Metro-North completely suspended for hours outside of Manhattan.
“There are 3,500 buses out there. They’re rolling, getting to their destinations. Only a couple are stranded. Overwhelmingly, they represent the majority of our public transportation right now.” Janno Lieber, president and CEO of the MTA saying.
New Yorkers urged to stay home, But even home wasn’t safe for many basement apartments in Brooklyn, as sewage systems would back up and leak out of people’s bathrooms and bathtubs..
“Laptops were destroyed, mattresses were destroyed, furniture was destroyed, not to mention all the sanitation issues,” said Thomas Trevisan, a Williamsburg resident.
“The water actually comes back through the main sewer line into the basement. Instead of going out, it goes in and shoots out like a fucking geyser,” added Kelly Hayes, owner of the Gowanus Garden restaurant.
On Friday morning, sewage filled the basement of his restaurant and outdoor flooding peaked at more than 3 feet, drowning his outdoor dining structure and leaving it in pieces.
“It’s going to cost me between $5,000 and $10,000 just to take out the trash, so even that won’t get my business back,” Hayes said.
Hayes said by the time he received some type of emergency alert from the city, it was too late.
“Like flash flooding was happening now and we were already under water,” Hayes said.
READ MORE: Hundreds of flights canceled and delayed after storm hits New York City
Brooklyn Borough President Antonio Reynoso and Public Defender Jumaane Williams now they are criticizing Mayor Eric Adams for what they call their lack of urgency in the face of the storm.
“If you’re going to send us information the night before, you should probably prepare to have a press conference early in the morning so we can let people know where we are,” Williams said.
Adams said his administration sent out notifications Thursday afternoon.
“You were broadcasting this storm that was coming. You would have to be under a rock not to know that storms are coming in the city and we continue to use social media, all forms of notification,” the mayor said.
READ MORE: Flooding gave one New Yorker a taste of freedom: a sea lion at the Central Park Zoo
After the remains of Hurricane Ida hit our area in 2021, many hoped that the worst floods were behind us. But Friday was another day of record-breaking weather here in New York City.
“We, at the state and city, must act faster to create stormwater infrastructure and improve our climate response,” said Assemblymember Emily Gallagher.
According to the city’s count, three people had to be rescued from basements and 15 people from their apartments on Friday. Fortunately, no one was seriously injured.
As for Hayes’ restaurant, well, she hopes to reopen next week, but she said the damage will probably cost her $30,000.
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