Winter Storm Brings Flooding In Queens; More Flooding Expected
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- A winter storm caused major flooding in parts of Queens Monday, and officials warned that more flooding could be coming.
Late Monday, coastal flooding was a major concern in many areas, including parts of Brooklyn and Queens. With a second system coming and high tides due to the new moon, Mayor Bill de Blasio warned that coastal flooding is a risk through Wednesday morning.
A coastal flood warning is in effect in Brooklyn and along the south shores of Queens, Nassau County and parts of Suffolk County, as well as several Jersey Shore counties – through 11 p.m. Monday and from 7 a.m. to 11 a.m. Tuesday.
A high surf advisory is also in effect until 7 p.m. Tuesday, meaning there's a chance for beach erosion and strong rip currents.
"Some areas of the city saw moderate levels of coastal flooding on Monday morning, including parts of southern Queens where roadways were flooded," Mayor de Blasio said in a news release. "We expect similar levels of flooding tomorrow and Wednesday mornings; some local roadways may flood during high tide."
Quinn reported that waters would rise 2 to 4 feet above astronomical tide, and minor to moderate flooding is possible.
The Mayor's office advised that people living in coastal areas where flooding may happen should prepare a "go bag" in case they have to leave their homes, learn the safest routes from their homes or workplaces to high grounds, and keep materials such as sandbags, plywood, plastic sheeting and lumber handy.
If a building is flooded or surrounded by floodwaters, stay away, the Mayor's office warned. When outside, people should also avoid driving through flooded areas, given that as few as 6 inches of moving water can knock someone over.
People should also stay informed, as the city will deliver emergency alerts. You can sign up for Notify NYC by visiting www.nyc.gov/NotifyNYC or following @NotifyNYC on Twitter, the Mayor's office said.
An earlier high tide arrived Monday morning, flooding several streets in the Rockaways. As CBS2's Elise Finch reported, residents who had been focused on snow totals were surprised to see how significant the coastal flooding was.
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One Facebook user shared photos of flooding in Broad Channel, where the water was knee high. Other residents said the water was two to three feet high in the streets, CBS2's Scott Rapoport reported.
The flooding in Broad Channel was bad enough to damage homes and cars.
Dashima Cortes' car was a total loss after flood water soaked it for hours while it was parked outside of her home on 12th Road.
"The water came in and we didn't realize it would be a very high tide. All we could do is watch from the window," Cortes said.
Now all she can do is clear her personal belongings from the car and wait for a tow truck to haul it away.
Cortes and her husband were just two of many whose cars were destroyed.
Water also poured into people's homes.
On West 18th Street, James McGinn was dealing with a flooded basement.
"It's pretty bad. It came in quickly, just lost my burner," he said.
The intense area of low pressure generated strong winds that pushed water on shore. During Monday morning's high tide the water was 1.5 to 2.5 feet above astronomical tidal levels.
"This was worse than the blizzard we just had. In my garage I had an inch of water. Today I had a foot of water in there," Ronald Lazauskas said.
Flooding was also reported at Newport Avenue and Beach 141st Street in the Belle Harbor section.
One man whose basement flooded said he was surprised by the water.
"It came in quickly, we had no warning," he said. "We didn't know this was going to happen."
There was also flooding on Brookville Boulevard in Rosedale, where a car got stuck in the water, 1010 WINS' Roger Stern reported.
"It's basically like passing through a hazard zone over there," said one man who works nearby.
With another storm headed our way, residents were worried about what the next high tide will bring.
"I am concerned naturally about tonight and tomorrow morning. But you know what? You got to learn that there's nothing you can do about it," Tony Scimeca said.
A project to raise the street is underway, but won't be complete for at least another year.
"We've needed help here for a long time and thank goodness that it's started but it really needs to get done soon because this can't happen every time there's a major storm," Cortes said.