Torrential Rains Cause Severe Flooding In Parts Of Queens
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- Torrential downpours flooded basements and stranded several vehicles in parts of Queens on Wednesday.
The National Weather Service said more than 2 inches of rain had fallen between about 11 a.m. and 1 p.m.
Residents near 164th Street and 71st Avenue in Fresh Meadows told 1010 WINS' Carol D'Auria that sewage water was shooting out of the toilet bowls and bathtubs in their homes.
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"If you go into anyone of these houses right now we all have sewage and disgusting, dirty water in our basements," Dr. Elizabeth Goldstein said. "They were coming up very, very fast. So fast it poses a very hazardous and dangerous situation."
Her brother said it took only 10 minutes for the basement to fill with a foot of water and in 20 minutes the water level went up to about 2 feet.
"They were coming up very, very fast," Goldstein said. "So fast it poses a very hazardous and dangerous situations."
She said her homeowner's insurance will not pay for any of the clean up and that when her home was damaged in a flood four years ago it cost her about $50,000.
Meanwhile, at a home that CBS 2's Tony Aiello witnessed, the debris line on the garage and the swirling water outside of it gave just a hint of the incredible damage inside -- the basement apartment was ruined.
The tenant's refrigerator was upended after floating away. Other appliances and the sink clogged with floodwater debris. Many of the tenants' possessions were destroyed as water filled his unit in a flash.
"It just came at once, I couldn't do anything. I got really scared and that's it. I couldn't do anything about it, you know. It's not the first time it happened, either," the Fresh Meadows resident said.
There were also several reports of stranded vehicles on roadways in Queens.
Portions of the Long Island Expressway, Grand Central Parkway and Van Wyck Expressway were closed due to flooding in addition to other delays in the area.
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