Holding their breaths when it rains

Five Towns residents who have experienced significant flooding in their homes over the last few years hoped to find relief from their constant concerns during a community forum held at the Hewlett-Woodmere Public Library on Monday.

Nassau County Legislator Howard Kopel (R-Lawrence) hosted the forum in which Ken Arnold from the Nassau County Department of Public Works, Eric Zausner from Nassau County’s Office of Emergency Management and Town of Hempstead Engineering Commissioner William Rockensies were in attendance to answer resident’s questions and address their concerns.

Frank and Susan Russo have lived on Ibsen Street in Woodmere for 42 years and haven’t experienced significant flooding in their home until 2005. According to Susan, the corner of Longacre Avenue and Ibsen Street floods so bad during rainstorms that cars have gotten stuck and area residents were not able to evacuate during Hurricane Irene. “I understand their problem and that it’s not an easy solution but I want my corner fixed,” Susan said.

In 2005 the Russo’s home sustained $35,000 in damage and there was four feet of water in their basement. “Flood insurance is astronomical and why now after 40 years are we faced with this situation?,” Susan said. “Every time it rains we hold our breath.”

Kopel said the county’s infrastructure has been neglected and residents need to be patient with upgrades. “These systems have to be designed and built, it can take quite a while,” Kopel said. “It’s not like replacing a battery.”

During natural disasters such as Hurricane Irene last August, Nassau County’s pump stations are not equipped to handle the amount of water that storms can leave. This summer, Arnold announced the county would be rebuilding the pump station that serves the Five Towns to make it hazard friendly. “This pump station is 60 to 70 years old and we need to reseal the pumps as well as replace and update some of them so they can easily be maintained during an emergency situation,” he said.

The Aug. 15 rainstorm, just before Hurricane Irene, was far worse. “There was 10 inches of rain in just 24 hours,” Arnold said. “No drainage system is designed to move that much water in such a short amount of time.”

Joe Margolin, a Gibson resident, said he pays a lot of money for flood insurance, however, during Hurricane Irene, he thinks his area was the only place in Nassau County that did not flood. “My house is not marketable because of the high flood insurance rates,” he said. “I don’t live in a normal area because of the high risk.”

Margolin said he empathizes with Five Towns residents, as flooding is a serious problem in the area. “If the flooding problem can’t be fixed at least give them tax relief for all the money they’ve spent,” he said. “(Kopel) said there’s no silver bullet and that’s the same thing as saying go drown. We won’t be able to sell our homes because we live in a flood zone. I have tremendous sympathy for these people.”

Residents are encouraged to call the Nassau County Maintenance Hotline at (516) 571-6900 for any sewer, catch basin or sanitary issues and the Nassau County Office of Emergency Management at (516) 573-0636 if streets are flooded and need to be closed.