Yonkers Residents Call On Lawmakers To Follow Through On Promises After Ida's Devastating Floods
YONKERS, N.Y. (CBSNewYork) -- A month after Ida's devastating floods, there is still cleanup that needs to be done in Yonkers.
Neighbors are calling for accountability after they were promised help, CBS2's Kevin Rincon reported Friday.
The damage was overwhelming. The hillside along Warburton Avenue gave way. Patio furniture, and even cars, were swallowed up.
"I know that we're living in a time of so much stuff that's going on, but we definitely need them to come and show that they care and live up to their word," said Annie Canty.
A month after Ida caused mudslides in Yonkers, neighbors on Walburton Avenue say they're desperate for the help NY & the Feds promised. They say the damage in the hundreds of thousands is too much for them to tackle on their own. pic.twitter.com/FFnHe85QhC
— Kevin Rincon (@KevRincon) October 1, 2021
In the aftermath, Gov. Kathy Hochul and other elected leaders came here promising help. But in that time, neighbors say they haven't gotten any.
"The city, the county, and the state, they all have funds, and they can all do a good job. They have the expertise and the money to help us," said Fred Santos.
"This is abnormal because there is not proper drainage for the hills of Yonkers," said Dr. Judith Deering.
That drainage system isn't very big. It was built in the 1800s and leads to a small drain. When it had nowhere to go, it ripped through an auto repair shop.
"Wow, this was strong, man. A lady's house behind the aqueduct, it collapsed. The whole wall came down, all mud, everything came down, broke down my back door. It ripped it open," said Paul Sayegh, owner of P&T's Auto Care.
Sayegh said it hurt to hear lawmakers offer help and not follow through.
"Help us out, show if you care about us. You know. Be passionate about what you do. You want to be a politician and for the people, be for the people," he said.
Yonkers said it is doing its part. Councilmember Shanae Williams said what's needed is outside assistance.
"We need to make sure that we're putting the proper infrastructure in place so that this doesn't happen again. So we need help from the federal government. We need help from our state government," said Williams. "We also need the county government, because we know that there's also county sewer lines that lead directly out into the river underneath these homes."
"I just want them to come in and help so I can accumulate some more memories here," Canty said.
Like Canty, these neighbors don't want to leave. They've been here for decades. This is home and they want it to stay that way.
CBS2's Kevin Rincon contributed to this report.