STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. — Residents of E. Figurea Avenue in Eltingville were finally able to walk safely onto the sidewalk and move their cars Thursday, after city crews cleared a heavy blanket of ice caused by a long-standing underground leak that had made access to the street treacherous for over a week.
The thick ice, caused by a long-standing underground leak, left sidewalks and driveways dangerously slippery.
Freezing temperatures caused the constantly running water from the leak to solidify, leaving neighbors, including seniors and those with health concerns, unable to safely reach the street.
Crews from the Department of Environmental Protection arrived around 8 a.m., removing the ice, salting sidewalks and driveways and repairing a nearby fire hydrant. Residents moved cars temporarily as mounds of ice and snow were loaded into dump trucks and hauled away.
“The crew did a tremendous job,” said resident Lisa Chu, 65. “I’m thrilled to see pavement.”
Crews from the Department of Environmental Protection removed ice, salted sidewalks and driveways, and repaired a nearby fire hydrant on E. Figurea Avenue in Eltingville on Thursday, Feb. 5, 2026.(Advance/SILive.com | Scott R. Axelrod)Ice trapped homeowners inside
Sidewalks and driveways on E. Figurea Avenue in Eltingville had been dangerously slippery for over a week due to a long-standing underground leak, as of Tuesday, Feb. 3, 2026.(Advance/SILive.com | Scott R. Axelrod)
The worst of the ice was concentrated near 107 and 111 E Figurea Ave., where it reached more than halfway up a fire hydrant, though runoff spread down the block toward Cortelyou Avenue. Cathy Ogno, 79, who lives nearby, described how she and her husband had been effectively blocked from safely accessing the street.
“We’re not going anywhere,” Ogno said earlier in the week.
Ogno said that the ice in her driveway measured several inches thick before crews arrived. While she expressed relief at the city’s response, she warned that the problem could return if the underlying leak is not fixed.
Several residents said the conditions left them unable to safely walk or drive, with some vehicles becoming stuck in frozen runoff and requiring other cars to pull them free.
Sanitation workers and postal carriers were hesitant to cross the icy sidewalks and driveways, residents said, citing fears of slipping and falling. This left garbage uncollected and mail deliveries disrupted along parts of the block.
Gail Santoro, 67, said she and her family had not left their house since last Friday. The situation proved especially difficult for her 93-year-old mother, Lillian Santoro, who relies on supplemental oxygen. Her home health aide was unable to reach the house because of the ice, leaving her without essential care.
“She couldn’t get her hair washed or her bath this week because the aide couldn’t come,” Santoro said.
Crews from the Department of Environmental Protection removed ice, salted sidewalks and driveways and repaired a nearby fire hydrant on E. Figurea Avenue in Eltingville on Thursday, Feb. 5, 2026.(Advance/SILive.com | Scott R. Axelrod)Ongoing problem on South Shore street
Sidewalks and driveways on E. Figurea Avenue in Eltingville had been dangerously slippery for over a week due to a long-standing underground leak, as of Tuesday, Feb. 3, 2026.(Advance/SILive.com | Scott R. Axelrod)
Residents said the underground leak has been an ongoing problem, often leaving wet curbs and minor icing during winter months, but never to this extent.
“It’s been going on for years. It’s just never been like this,” Santoro said. “Every winter, if it rains or there’s a little snow, you could guarantee in the morning there’s ice.”
One resident, who asked that his name not be published, said water has run steadily along the block in all seasons, creating dangerous conditions when temperatures drop.
“There’s solid ice from 107 all the way down,” he said. “I chopped ice on my sidewalk every single day because it just kept coming back. Eventually I said, ‘I’m not doing this anymore.’”
Crews from the Department of Environmental Protection removed ice, salted sidewalks and driveways, and repaired a nearby fire hydrant on E. Figurea Avenue in Eltingville on Thursday, Feb. 5, 2026.(Advance/SILive.com | Scott R. Axelrod)Problem fixed; DEP on alert
A DEP spokesperson said crews repaired and repainted the fire hydrant, salted the sidewalks and driveways and used high-tech equipment to scan the surrounding water infrastructure.
“The area is known for groundwater, so DEP will continue to monitor to see if any other water conditions develop,” the spokesperson said.
For Ogno and her neighbors, the cleanup brought relief and cautious optimism.
“For the first time in days, we can actually get out,” Ogno said. “We’re just hoping this doesn’t become the same problem all over again.”
Crews from the Department of Environmental Protection removed ice, salted sidewalks and driveways, and repaired a nearby fire hydrant on E. Figurea Avenue in Eltingville on Thursday, Feb. 5, 2026.(Advance/SILive.com | Scott R. Axelrod)