50°
ELMSFORD, N.Y. – Hurricane Irene devastated many businesses last August, but some owners are not happy with the way several municipalities handled the situation.
“I’m not an engineer, but I’m sure that if they can go to the moon, they can fix this problem,” Luigi Guida, owner of Casaletto’s Ristorante on South Central Avenue, said of the flooding. “This is a big problem. The water is too much.”
After Hurricane Irene, Guida was critical of the government’s actions, and said that nothing has changed since last year. He noted that the biggest problem with businesses in central Elmsford is that they are more than 10 feet lower than the Saw Mill River, allowing the water to flow toward them with ease.
While the inside of Casaletto's did not receive much water damage in last year’s hurricane because it is raised above ground level, no customers visited the restaurant for several days because four feet of water surrounded the building.
“Yes, I am worried that it might happen again – oh, yes,” Guida said. “They need to bring engineers from the state to take a look at it and see what the best thing to do for the taxpayers is. There are a lot of businesses here, right next to the river, that have been flooded. But this government cannot find a solution?”
Elmsford Mayor Robert Williams does not see a long-term solution to the flooding problem without the state’s help.
Last year, Elmsford Square — the ever-busy cross-section between Main Street and Route 9A — was flooded so badly that it looked like the bottom of an undrained sink. If a flood occurs, Williams said, it blocks cars from crossing the village and, because so many highways and major companies are in Elmsford, it loses the county money.
“Do we worry about flooding? Yes, every time it gets cloudy out,” Williams said, adding that the village gets about 10 knee-high to waist-high floods every year.
However, after state lawmakers visited Elmsford to see Hurricane Irene’s devastation, Williams has never felt more confident that the state will partner with the U.S. Army Corps to fix the flooding.
“I have never been more optimistic about a plan happening to fix the Saw Mill River in my entire life,” Williams said. “I have never been more optimistic than this, with the conversation that has taken place. That has never happened before.”
Greenburgh Police Chief Joseph DeCarlo noted that the town is undertaking several projects to either help prevent flooding or streamline its plans in case of flooding. The town also has been cleaning storm drains and making inspections more frequently. In addition, the police department is enhancing its community notification system, allowing the department to contact residents via landline, cellphone, text or email in case of an emergency.
“We continue to train our personnel in compliance with the National Incident Management System,” DeCarlo said in an email interview, “and equip our Technical Rescue Team – composed of police officers and firefighters from Fairview and Hartsdale – and we have a very active and well-trained volunteer [Community Emergency Response Team].
DeCarlo urged Greenburgh residents to have their own emergency plan. Ideas for evacuation and survival can be found on the town's website.
Town Supervisor Paul Feiner could not be reached for comment as of Sunday afternoon.
Comments (2)
Look at Westchester County's actions,.... they filled in half of Macy Park in Ardsley to make soccer fields. That land area not only abuts the 100 Year Flood plain, it is perfectly situated to act as a detention basin for the Saw Mill River Drainage Area in heavy rain fall events. The Saw Mill River from Warehouse Lane south could have been cleaned and better channelized to facilitate the movement of water to that detention area and then held until the southern end of the river could accomidate the drainage. Rather than sitting in the middle of the Village of Elmsford.
Woodland lake also has a storage capacty, unforuntatly it is silted right to the TOP!!, so there is currently no storage capacity and no way for the dam at Woodland lake to operate as it is designed.
Property owners, particularly the commerical and industrial property owners along this river should be contacted to see to what extent they would assist the Village and Town in an ongoing maintaince effort to keep the river clear and unobstructed. The cost of waiting is far greater than the cost of action. Do something, anything, even if its wrong!
Once again we are witness to a story really about nothing but appearing under the guise of the lead article.
This time the "reporter" contacted the primary "source", Police Chief DeCarlo -- by email "interview". One wonders, per restaurant owner Guida, whether either Ms.Baage-Lord or the Chief had availed themselves of the opportunity "to go to the moon" and thus were unable to get together or meet even by phone.
"I'm not an engineer, but I'm sure that if they can go to the moon..."
Greenburgh Police Chief Joseph DeCarlo noted that the town is undertaking several projects to either help prevent flooding or streamline its plans in case of flooding. The town also has been cleaning storm drains and making inspections more frequently. In addition, the police department is enhancing its community notification system, allowing the department to contact residents via landline, cellphone, text or email in case of an emergency.
"Greenburgh Police Chief Joseph DeCarlo noted that the town is undertaking several PROJECTS to either help prevent flooding or streamline its plans in case of flooding. THE TOWN ALSO has been cleaning storm drains and making inspections more frequently. IN ADDITION, the police department is enhancing its community notification system, allowing the department to contact residents via landline, cellphone, text or email in case of an emergency."
Does anyone else (terrorists excepted) wonder what are these PROJECTS? Isn't this what is crucial and thus lacking from the story?
What is covered is that some steps are being taken to notify residents that once the rain starts, everyone is reminded that flooding could follow. This is what passes for progress, a year later in Greenburgh.
And just for the sake of being obvious to everyone but the "reporter", wouldn't it have been useful to ask the Greenburgh Commissioner of Public Works, Carosi, for his take on the matter?
One tends to think of the Police Department as the agency administering relief when an emergency strikes while the DPW would be the agency responsible for long term planning -- effecting the solution.
What does not get the reporter's attention is the acknowledgement that (using the fly me to the moon reference) is that: "Houston, we have a problem". And what is Greenburgh doing to CORRECT the problem which does not mean passing out a lot of sponges to those concerned but rather coming up with a permanent solution. Say something along the lines of dredging or constructing levees or dikes. But that would entail the outlay of money, something Feiner is adverse to doing despite the Town's high bond rating and low, low, low interest rates.
A high bond rating is for talking about, not for taking advantage (of).
So instead, let's continue to study the problem for another twenty years. And hold on to this article; you will see its reappearance next summer.
Until Feiner recognizes the photo opportunity in awarding a certificate of appreciation to some intern who might have been robbed of the opportunity to stick his finger in the dike.
Hal Samis