The day after: Crews clean up after floodwaters recede in Westchester, Rockland

Yahoo

6 days ago

Crews performed numerous water rescues, vehicles were submerged and sections of parkways were shut down after thunderstorms brought flooding Monday, July 14, that rapidly walloped areas of Westchester and Rockland counties.
Gov. Kathy Hochul said the state had been "closely monitoring" the situation in Rockland and Westchester on Monday night, noting that road conditions were especially serious and that several rescues had been conducted.
Many road closures appeared to end overnight, but parts of the Bronx River and Saw Mill River parkways — major commuter thoroughfares — were closed into Tuesday morning.
A New York State Department of Transportation spokesperson said that, as of 8:30 a.m. Tuesday, closures included: the Saw Mill River Parkway north and south, between Exits 9 and 16; Bronx River Parkway north, between the New York City line in Yonkers and Exit 11W; Bronx River Parkway south, between the New York City line in Yonkers and Oak Street; and, in Rockland County, Route 59 east at Palisades Center Mall.
See the inch counts: Rockland, Westchester, Putnam rainfall totals for July 14 storm
Westchester County Executive Ken Jenkins said Monday that Hochul offered support toward recovery efforts in the days after the flooding. He was also in communication with state Division of Homeland Security Commissioner Jackie Bray, as well as local municipalities, to 'provide assistance where needed.'
Westchester County Airport remained open and flights resumed Monday night. Bee-Line Bus service in southern Westchester had been restored.
The Westchester County Department of Public Works teams were plenty busy in White Plains on Tuesday, as they cleared debris from the Bronx River Parkway. Nick Fazio was working with the crew to keep drains clear and help floodwaters recede.
What we know the day after: Flash flooding July 14 in Rockland, Westchester prompt water rescues
"There's really not much we can do about it, even if the basins are clear," Fazio told reporters. "The river's right there. If it comes up over the wall, there's just too much. Then we wouldn't be able to stop it."
The National Weather Service said runoff from the rains caused the Bronx River to rise to a moderate flood stage of around 3.7 feet early Tuesday morning, but the river was expected to drop below flood stage Tuesday afternoon.
Fazio expected the waters on the BRP to recede and be cleared within the same day, "hopefully."
Not far from the clean up crew sits the Dog Den, a hot dog restaurant with views of the Bronx River.
Owner Dennis Rubich lamented on Instagram Tuesday that, through years of the area weathering storms and hurricanes, he'd never seen so much water— and so quickly.
"The highway [Bronx River Parkway] was completely covered, 30 inches-plus, but much higher around the Den," he said.
Rubich was at his restaurant Monday night while the floodwaters rose.
'I knew we'd have flooding and I know where the water tends to come in, so I was trying to move everything I could and be proactive,' he told The Journal News/lohud. 'This was the worst I've seen for sure; I thought we'd have six feet of water.'
At a certain point, he left for his home in Irvington, as he kept getting flood warnings on his phone. 'I probably should have stayed because everything was flooded and getting home was crazy. You can't sleep. You worry. So I got up early this morning to come back and see what had happened overnight.'
Luckily, the Dog Den sustained little damage. 'I have to count my blessings. I can't complain,' he said. 'Especially when I know how bad it was. Thankfully, the old building held her own yet again and we have minimal damage and some clean up.'
He was closed Tuesday, but plans to open again for National Hot Dog Day on Wednesday, July 16.
Of interest: Video shows subways in New York City, streets in NJ inundated by flash flooding
According to the National Weather Service, Rockland County received the most rain of any area in the Lower Hudson Valley. Workers were spotted sweeping away floodwaters from Route 59 near the Palisades Center in West Nyack.
Nanuet had numerous road closures between 5 p.m. and 9 p.m. Monday. By 1 a.m. Tuesday morning, total rainfall measured 5.03 inches, the highest reading of any municipality in the downstate New York region.
In comparison, Westchester, Putnam and New York City received as much as 3 to 4 inches of rain in some areas, with severe flooding on public transit tracks, major roadways near rivers and streams, and low-lying parking lots.
Piermont Fire Department's dive team carried out water rescues Monday night, responding to six emergencies in the county.
In Clarkstown, Town Supervisor George Hoehmann said in a 7:30 p.m. Monday update that the town was experiencing flooding in low areas. Old Mill Road at Strawtown Road was closed at the time because of a downed tree. A large tree went down on Branchville and hit a house but there were no injuries, his post said. There was flooding at Germonds and Bardonia roads and at Fisher Avenue and Prospect Street, which were closed at the time.
Contributing: lohud's Seth Harrison and John Meore.
This article originally appeared on Rockland/Westchester Journal News: NY flooding: Westchester, Rockland clean up as waters recede