Yonkers mayor Spano asks federal government to declare state of emergency after flooding

Yonkers mayor Mike Spano is calling on the federal government to declare a state of emergency for Yonkers and other Hudson Valley municipalities that were greatly impacted by flooding from last week's torrential downpours.

Spano declared a city-wide state of emergency on Sept. 29, when over six inches of rain flooded highways like the Bronx River Parkway and several homes and businesses in Yonkers and surrounding areas. He said declaring a federal state of emergency would help release New York state funds to pay for cleanup and recovery efforts.

How we got here: Aftermath of rain, floods impacted Lower Hudson Valley

"Friday’s storm resulted in flash flooding, travel disruptions and damage in many of our low-lying areas and neighborhoods," said Spano. “The declaration by the federal government can provide the tools necessary to quickly and safely recover from the effects of the storm. I ask our federal representatives to be our voices in Washington and let our residents and businesses know we have their backs."

Marie Iammateo, 69, of Yonkers said she's had constant problems with flooding since she moved to her house on Bronxville Road 15 years ago. She said two catch basins near her house on Moreland Street and Bronxville Road are constantly clogged with dirt and debris, causing flooding every time it rains heavily in the area.

The issue, Iammateo said, is that the basins are not connected to sewers, so the water has nowhere to go but the streets and basements of her neighborhood. She said she and her neighbors spoke to local engineers about the problem but they have not listened to the neighborhood's ideas for a permanent solution.

“I’m going to be 70 on my next birthday," Iammateo said. "I don’t have my husband anymore, he passed away. This is not fair to do this to anybody, let alone an elderly person.” Iammateo said she was directed to put in a request to Spano's hotline to get water out of her first-floor family room this past weekend and to have the basins fixed, but she was told "it would take a long time." She settled for cleaning out the flooding with a small water vacuum.

Carolina Coto-Chang said her parents, who have lived in Pelham for over 20 years, are also always affected by heavy rains with flooding in their garage. She said Glenwood Lake near her parents' house overflows and enters the sewers, flooding the streets and homes nearby.

"Fortunately, they were lucky this year because my dad has put so much work into making sure water doesn't enter our garage," Coto-Chang said. She said her father built a wooden board and surrounded it with sand bags to prevent the water from coming into the house.

"Our neighbors across the street made something similar out of steel and unfortunately it did not work for them and they were flooded with about four to five feet of water," Coto-Chang said.

Coto-Chang said her father has racked up charges for repairs each year the house floods. He installed a sump pump to remove the water but has to buy a new one because it burned in Friday's flood. She said he's also had to buy new flooring and appliances over the years because of water damage.

"It's just sad that this keeps happening," she said. "My parents don't have the strength anymore to be removing water from the garage. They got some water damage because it was coming through the walls of our basement but maybe just about five inches of water. I saw them on the ring camera drenched with buckets, pouring it onto the street."

Coto-Chang said the mayor visits each time it floods to see the damage but not much has been done to prevent flooding otherwise. She said the neighborhood has been petitioning to close Glenwood Lake but the requests have been turned down.

"The day after the flood, my dad sent a family text saying that was it. He's going to start looking for a new home because it's physically and mentally draining on them," Coto-Chang said.

The latest: Mamaroneck still dealing with cleanup from last week's storm, assessing damage

Gov. Kathy Hochul, Westchester County Executive George Latimer, Mayor Noam Bramson of New Rochelle and Mayor Shawyn Patterson-Howard of Mount Vernon also declared states of emergencies for their respective areas.

However Catherine Cioffi, a spokesperson for Westchester County, said local state of emergency declarations from towns were only to get emergency assistance from organizations like the American Red Cross and allow local law enforcement to close roads and create curfews. The state and federal governments have not provided financial assistance because towns have not yet fully surveyed the damage and its cost.

“Ultimately, the federal government needs to put greater funding in its budget for storm water issues due to global warming," Spano said. "The reality is that this is our new normal. Washington must address this deep pocket issue. We don’t have the ability to finance these type of projects alone – we need their partnership.”

Yonkers Public Works is offering curbside pickup of storm debris for residents until Friday. Spano said residents are encouraged to make an appointment via the Mayor’s Helpline at (914) 377-4357. Pickup crews will accept appliances, organic matter and construction debris.

This article originally appeared on Rockland/Westchester Journal News: Yonkers mayor wants federal state of emergency funding after storms