Heavy rain and wind caused major flooding throughout parts of the tri-state area, on Sunday, April 15, 2007. For the most part, warned residents were able to prepare their homes as well as arrange their commute for the intense weather conditions. However, there were plenty of residents who were unable to stay indoors and were forced to get around their communities in the storm.
The concern here is not only large cities, but also small areas such as South Beach, Staten Island. Towns that are constantly deserted during the snow storms, with small blocks not being cleaned for up to a week after the hit; but aside from the size of these areas, there is another factor which makes this weather condition especially dangerous-these towns also happen to be on the water.
The rain storm on Sunday can be looked at as a nightmare for the South Beach community, since most of the homes are located on or by the water. If you were to leave your house Sunday night, you would be in for one very rough ride. One of the main streets in South Beach, was flooded so bad that if you were to open your car door in certain parts, water would actually flow into the car. The fact that it is a small neighborhood, with uneven roads is bad enough, but the waterfront factor in a rain storm made it that much worse.
The Office of Emergency Management advised the public to stay inside and have emergency supply kits on hand while the Red Cross urged the residents to stay tuned to radio and TV reports for more information. But after seeing the neighborhood on Sunday, and all the people stuck or struggling to get around, my question is whether or not that’s the best our city can do?
You raised some good points. How can the city better prepare low-lying areas like this for rampant storms?
What were some of the steps residents took to prepare for this storm? Has there been any improvements on how the city has dealt with storms and flooding in this area before? Do you know if most of these residents have some sort of insurance to cover any damages that would result from such occurrences–does the city offer any thing?
I know after the Katrina disaster people were worried that it would happen in their area. After the storm recently, my basement was flooded. I know that in Mamaroneck in Westchester County was extremely flooded. People should prepared for the worst.
What will the city do now to prevent such a disaster from occurring in the future? It would be such a shame for a national disaster such as Hurricane Katrina were to repeat itself.