The Town Board has gotten comfortable with referencing these Hurricane Season storms by utilizing the moniker of a 100-year or 500-year, without similarly acknowledging some guilt to the flooding causation. Newer Town Board electees are learning first hand from the old guard how to tell the residents that they are doing everything possible to help their plight with flooding without really doing anything of substance.
So as the rain increased in intensity on Saturday, the Manhattan Brook filled rapidly to capacity. An email was sent to Mr Feiner, Commissioners Fon and Morabito stating that the river is at capacity and where are the pumps we were promised? Mr Feiner responded, “I spoke with the commissioner. We have the pumps but they’re missing a few parts. They are going to be placed on a truck and used during major storms to help residents of Fulton Park.” Sounds like the dog ate my homework excuse. It always seems be be someone else’s fault, “That’s County property so we can’t do something or another.” Or, it’s State property and no one has gotten back to us yet.
At the local level, when the Town started clearing debris and such on the Bronx River side of the Manhattan Brook, residents were told that the Town workers were stopped mid-way as the County said the Town didn’t have the proper permits to do that work! Really? You’d think the County would welcome Greenburgh’s effort to clear the debris away AT OUR EXPENSE and look to offer any modicum of relief to the people constantly being flooded. Very disappointing.
We saw extreme flooding that took place at Fulton Park on July 14, 2025. According to CD&C Commissioner Garrett Duquesne the Town received seven inches of rain in three hours. Property owners reported not only rain water damage, but sewers that backed up into their homes. Worthington-Woodlands Civic Association President Dorrine Livson noted that six to eight homes on Windom Street, Lark Avenue and Westchester View Lane were also inundated with water and sewage. One property owner received three and a half feet of water in their basement. Mrs. Livson said she advised the owners to inform the Town about the sewage. Jean Lane property owners also received water from Ferncliff Cemetery and acknowledged that the Town is working with the Cemetery to address this discharge of water on to neighboring property. And, a home on Miller Terrace in the Fulton Park area was flooded as were some on Gibson Street.
When asked whether the Town maintains the infrastructure to address
these kinds of storms. Mr. Sheehan mentioned that our infrastructure is built to accommodate a 25-year storm, which is typical throughout the U.S. He noted there is nothing anyone can do to accommodate a 100-year storm. He said he was out on Dobbs Ferry Road and watched the dirt pouring down from the Bright View construction site - the whole street was brown.
But Mr Sheehan conceded there is nothing the Town can do to prevent this from happening again. He said the Town hires a meteorologist that provides extremely accurate data that helps the Town save a lot of money by allowing the DPW to clean out debris in advance when necessary. He said this wasn’t a storm that the Town knew about. The Town was caught by surprise. Huh - didn’t you just say you hired a meteorologist? No one predicted the storm would be that bad. He said some Town infrastructure was so undermined by this storm, it now must be repaired.
Here’s a couple of ideas: 1) Every month do an inspection of choke points for debris, garbage and yard waste and then clean it out; 2) start applying for flood grants like Mamaroneck has done so you can make improvements throughout the Town – like Mamaroneck has done; 3) Actually listen to the neighborhoods instead of giving pushback as their ideas may have merit; 4) Look to hire an engineering firm to offer remedies since the Town always responds, “There’s nothing we can do.” Finally, institute term limits so we can break this culture of “NO!” It’s the only way to get A Better Greenburgh!
