‘It’s Negligence’; Queens Residents Fed Up With Flooding, Demand Immediate Relief Money For Repairs

NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) — New Yorkers cleaning up their flooded homes are begging for more help.

As CBS2’s Andrea Grymes reported, it’s been incredibly emotional for many families in Queens.

“It’s really hard. It’s really hard,” said Jamaica resident Amrita Bhagwandin.

Bhagwandin cannot contain her tears while dealing with the aftermath of flooding, yet again, in her home.

She said her entire basement was full of water, rising to the first floor.

“Mr. Mayor, I am not angry. I am so sad that we are in this situation,” Bhagwandin said.

Her family lives on 183rd Street, where water-damaged possessions litter the side yard, right across from the home where their two neighbors were killed Wednesday night.

Ida’s torrential rains flooded their basement apartment, trapping them inside.

“The loss of two lives was uncalled for because the fix we are doing out here is not the solution,” Bhagwandin said.

She’s referring to a $2 billion infrastructure project that’s underway. It was previously approved by Mayor Bill de Blasio after years of complaints about flooding in southeast Queens.

Bhagwandin believes the work and plans must be reevaluated.

“I know the mayor wants the best for the city,” she said. “I want us to be more conscious about what we’re doing.”

Grymes asked the mayor what could be done in the short term to give these New Yorkers some relief next time there’s a storm. He said the most immediate thing the city can do is update its warning system, so more people are evacuated if need be.

“What we can do now I think is less about, can we make an infrastructure fix in days or weeks. No, we know we can’t. But what we can do is move people if we need to,” de Blasio said.

Gov. Kathy Hochul said Sen. Chuck Schumer and Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand are working to get infrastructure funding passed in Congress.

“We have put off for far too long the necessary investments to protect us from the effects of climate change. And it’s not that complicated, my friends. We know where we need to build resiliency,” Hochul said.

But for some in Queens, where the governor visited Thursday, that belief rings hollow.

“For the politicians saying to say that it’s global warming, it’s not 30 years of global warning. It’s 30 years of b******* sewage. That’s what it is. It’s negligence because we are a middle class community,” said Jennifer Mooklal, a Jamaica resident.

Residents said they need relief funds immediately to make repairs.

The mayor said he’ll do all he can to speed up the city’s infrastructure projects during his final months in office.

from CBS New York https://newyork.cbslocal.com/2021/09/03/ida-queens-flood-damage-infrastructure/
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