36 photos of flooding on Staten Island in the 1990s

Editor’s note: A version of this story was originally published in 2019. It has been updated by Andrew Balaban and Mattea Vecera.

STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. — We’ve seen our share of flooding over the years — and extreme weather is often to blame.

In fact, we’ve uncovered so many vintage photos from the Advance archives that we had to break them up by decade.

This time, we’re looking at photos of flooding and heavy rain on our shores throughout the 90s.

Missed our earlier collection? Check out our gallery of flooding photos through the 1980s here.

1990Mark Mercogliano wades through flood waters on Oakdale Street, off Thornycroft Avenue, Eltingville, on August 7, 1990.Advance/SILive.com1991A police car moved slowly through a monstrous puddle on Arthur Kill Road near the Outerbridge Crossing, January 31, 1991.Staten Island AdvanceWater covers Fieldway Avenue in Great Kills, March 5, 1991.Advance/SILive.comA woman wades through the flood waters on Bay Street, Stapleton. The truck in the background is stuck. July 27, 1991.Advance/SILive.comA bus plows its way through the flood on Broad Street in Stapleton, October 8, 1991.Staten Island AdvanceLou Azzara, a business owner one block over from the water main break, waits for the flood to subside. November 13, 1991.Advance/SILive.com1993The storm caused severe flooding along Richmond Terrace in St. George. A bus wades slowly through a flooded area, October 22, 1993.Advance/SILive.comMartling Avenue was flooded from wall to middle of street making it difficult for pedestrians and joggers to get by. November 28, 1993.Advance/SILive.com1994Snow melts very fast with this weather. A lake about 100 feet wide forms on Front Street outside the Navy Post in Stapleton, February 22, 1994.Advance/SILive.comFaster than a speeding bullet, a car flew through flood water in this 1994 photo, at Travis Avenue, after an afternoon shower.Staten Island Advance file photo1995Shoppers returned to Pergament Shopping Center in 1995 on Richmond Avenue, pushing their shopping carts around puddles of melted snow and ice.Staten Island Advance file photoPeople and autos carefully navigated a flooded section of Richmond Terrace in St. George in 1996.Staten Island AdvanceJefferson Ave. from Hylan Blvd to Boundary Ave. flooded in 1995.Staten Island Advance1996Mario Catalano and George Merillo tried to crawl through the trunk of their employee’s car to get into it, in this 1996 dramatic photo. Their goal? To push the car out of the massive puddle at the intersection of Hylan Blvd. and Jefferson Ave.Staten Island Advance file photoA minivan zipped down Jefferson Ave. in 1996, and tried not to get stuck in the water.Michael McWeeneyMike Tiraro walked through three-feet-high flood water in 1996 on Clove Road near the Howard Ave. intersection after his car stalled due to high water.jin leeThree youths ran through the flooding in 1996, near the Great Kills Yacht club and Marina Cafe on Mansion Ave., Great Kills.Jan SommaDiehard shopper Debra Jones of Annadale walked away from the flooded Waldbaums on Amboy Rd., pushing her 4-year-old daughter Donna.Staten Island AdvanceMany cars were stranded in 1996 at the corner of Clove Road and Howard Ave. during the heavy thunder storm. All people in the cars were evacuated safely.Staten Island AdvanceA police officer pushed a stranded motorist out of the flood waters at Hylan Blvd. near Justin Avenue in 1996.Staten Island Advance file photoA big puddle on Amboy Road near Colon St. made driving treacherous in 1996.Staten Island Advance file photoWho needs a pool when your back yard looked like this one in Oakwood Beach, after a heavy 1996 rainstorm?Staten Island AdvanceRichie Merckel walked along a flooded sidewalk in 1996 at Amboy Road. and Lindenwood Ave., Great Kills.Staten Island Advance file photoVictoria Varriano, 3, from New Dorp, made her way through the flood in 1996.Staten Island Advance file photoIn 1996, Sang Lee, owner of the Hy Deli on Jefferson Ave., stood in the water that flooded his store.Staten Island Advance1997Louis Ortiz, from West Brighton, got caught in a thunderstorm as he rode his bike at Jewett Ave. and Post Ave. in this vintage photo.Staten Island Advance file photoFlooding in front of J&R Printing on Richmond Ave, June 2, 1997.Advance/SILive.comWater from a water main break floods the sidewalk and curbside along Bay Street, July 23, 1997.Advance/SILive.com1998A car got stuck in flood water at Drumgoole Road East and Albee Ave in 1998.Staten Island Advance file photoFlood waters cover this backyard play area on Tarlton Street, February 5, 1998.Advance/SILive.comJohn Gialella attempted to salvage his sunken portable basketball hoop from the Vogel Avenue flooding in 1998.Staten Island Advance file photoRain in 1998 caused the parking lot of the old Big Apple, Forest Avenue, to flood. The flood extended into the backyards and basements of neighboring homes.Staten Island AdvanceJoleen Archul watches as her husband Robert carries their daughter Breanna, age 5, through the ‘lake ‘ that forms after rain in front of their house. It’s over 3 feet deep in the middle.Advance/SILive.com1999Before the Bluebelt was constructed, the intersection of Albee Avenue and Drumgoole Road in Annadale, seen here in 1999, used to flood badly after heavy rain storms.Advance/SILive.comCar that got stuck in the flood at Lamport Blvd and Foch Ave, September 16, 1999.Advance/SILive.com

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