Forum Photo by Michael V. Cusenza
Motorists abandoned their vehicles on major thoroughfares across the borough as the water level rose.
By Michael V. Cusenza
Hurricane Ida tore through Queens Wednesday night, leaving at least 11 dead and hundreds of millions of dollars in damage.
Central Park reported a record 3.15 inches of rain over the course of just one hour. More than 10 inches of rain fell in various communities.
President Joe Biden on Tuesday visited some of the hardest-hit parts of the borough, including East Elmhurst and Woodside.
Photo Courtesy of Councilman Bob Holden
Borough homeowners could be seen all weekend dragging destroyed furniture to the curb for Sanitation pick up.
“We just finished surveying some of the damage in the neighborhood here in Queens. And earlier today, we were in the Raritan Valley in New Jersey, which also got badly, badly hit,” Biden said in East Elmhurst. “Walking these neighborhoods, meeting the families and the first responders, seeing how folks are doing after this destruction and pain and another devastating storm, is an eye-opener.”
Governor Kathy Hochul, who on Wednesday declared a State of Emergency in New York within the counties of Bronx, Dutchess, Kings, Nassau, New York, Orange, Putnam, Queens, Richmond, Rockland, Suffolk, Sullivan, Ulster, and Westchester in response to major flooding due to Hurricane Ida, addressed NY on Thursday morning.
Forum Photo by Michael V. Cusenza
Flood waters poured into Queens basements at an alarming rate.
“We’re here today because of a devastating storm that shocked the people of this city and to even the morning after we’re still uncovering the true depth of the loss, the human loss, which is hard to imagine that people simply in their cars, in their homes and their basements succumbed to the ravages of a brutal storm and their families must just be in such pain this morning,” Hochul said in Jamaica. “So, to all of them, we offer our love, our condolences, and our wishes for their healing, and we’ll be there to support them… To the people who live on streets like these throughout the city of New York, I want them to know a new administration, my administration, we don’t govern by press conference. Yes, we’re here today to answer questions, but I want to assure them it’s not just about today, it’s what we do tomorrow, the next day and the next day. So, you’re going to see a different tone, a different era of collaboration. And I served as a council member for 14 years, so I’ve been in the streets for a long time to know what it takes to get the job done. You don’t just show up one day. You show up until the job is done.”
Photo Courtesy of Rep. Meng
U.S. Rep. Grace Meng (D-Flushing) pays respects to the family of Yue Lian Chen, 86, who died in East Elmhurst.
Most pols used their opportunity to speak to deliver remarks on climate change.
“We are truly all in this together. And storms affect all of us. But what we’ve got to recognize is the suddenness, the brutality of storms now, it is different,” Mayor Bill de Blasio said. “A record set two weeks ago, another record set now, rainfall like we haven’t seen ever before. This is the biggest wakeup call we could possibly get.”
President Biden added, “My message to everyone grappling with this devastation is: We’re here. We’re not going home until this gets done. I really mean that. We’re not leaving. We’re going to continue to shout as long as it takes to get real progress here.”
