QUEENS, NY (PIX11) — Rose Avenue near Kissena Boulevard in Flushing transformed into a river as water surged through manholes and flooded the street Saturday.
The force of the flooding was strong enough to push several cars onto the sidewalk. Linda, who lives in the area, owns one of those vehicles. She said flooding has become a constant problem in the area and is now looking to the city for solutions.
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“I’m scared because water comes fast, including 20 minutes or 25 minutes,” she said. “That’s why I want the government to do something. Help common people.”
Christopher Klein said repeated flooding on his block has become a major concern, with heavy storms causing water to seep into his basement.
“We got a major cleanup to do tomorrow, and I’m not happy about it at all, and I got three young kids, and it’s not fun, but this has happened every year since Hurricane Ida,” said Klein.
Residents spent the day cleaning up the aftermath of the storm. Minnie Zen lives in the area and said she felt frustrated by infrastructure issues that have plagued the neighborhood for years.
“It is frustrating because they’re supposed to provide the infrastructure that we can live by, but we haven’t been able to get it,” Zen said.
The New York City Department of Environmental Protection tells PIX11 News it’s working to expand stormwater management in the Kissena corridor to capture and store excess water before it reaches the sewer system, which can become overwhelmed during heavy rainfall.
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A spokesperson for the agency said in a statement, “DEP teams continue to respond across the city to address flooding reports and assist with drainage efforts.”
The storm also impacted several parts of Queens. Video showed two men stranded on top of a box truck as heavy rains flooded the BQE in Queens. FDNY crews moved in to rescue them as floodwaters turned the highway into a dangerous scene.
In another video from the Clearview Expressway in Bayside, more than two dozen people could be seen standing outside their vehicles as traffic came to a standstill because of the flooding. Emergency crews also rescued a woman from a car that became stranded in the high water.
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