Storms And Tides Converge To Turn Coastal Communities Into Flooded Mess
SEA BRIGHT, N.J. (CBSNewYork/AP) -- Parts of the Jersey shore, Long Island and New York City were experiencing more flooding Tuesday as winter weather returned to the area.
A coastal flood warning is in effect Tuesday for parts of New Jersey while coastal flood advisories are in effect along Long Island Sound.
CHECK: Forecast & Alerts | Traffic & Transit | Schools
Residents along the coast are facing flooded roads in some spots. In Neptune Township, New Jersey, police said both the East End bridge and South Riverside Drive were impassable due to flooding.
In Sea Bright, New Jersey, the Navesink River overflowed its banks and bulkheads Tuesday morning after high tide, sending water onto Center and Ocean avenues and residential side streets.
"You can't go on the side streets, side streets are not a place to be," North Branch resident Jerry Weidelman said.
"Two straight days it's been like this," said Andre Saunders, a construction worker who has been working on some of the homes that get routine flooding. "We're trying to help them out, raise their houses up, but you come home to this it's not doing any good, you can't get to your house."
As CBS2's Elise Finch reported, the floods seem to be happening more and more with each storm.
Coastal flooding once again turned streets into canals in Bay Park, Long Island, forcing residents to bring their vehicles to higher ground and batten down anything that could float away, WCBS 880's Mike Xirinachs reported.
It's a way of life you learn to live with, homeowner Carl Zipperlin said.
"It's worth living on the water if you love boating and love canal life," he said. "It is a minor inconvenience compared to the beautiful days and nights that you get to have while you live here."
Many areas had problems from high water on Monday, including Neptune and Union Beach in New Jersey and Broad Channel in Queens.
Some of the communities hit with flooding are still rebuilding from Superstorm Sandy.
"The water came in and we didn't realize it would be a very high tide," said Broad Channel resident Dashima Cortes. "All we could do is watch it from the window."
As CBS2's Valerie Castro reported, most Broad Channel residents know the drill. A new moon means high tide, high tide means finding higher ground.
"We just watch it and slowly it comes up, so if we have to move, we move the cars and stuff like that. It came up to the second step the other night so that's about it," Tim Trainor said.
Some coastal residents are wondering if significant flooding will be part of the new normal.
"The intensity of the storms is off the hook, off the charts. It's scary to all the neighborhoods. When you watch it on TV, that's one thing, but when you're knee deep in water that's reality," Tom Cuffe said.
Gary Conte is a Warning and Coordination Meteorologist with the National Weather Service. He said small scale events may indeed be the new norm.
"We are seeing an increase in minor tidal flooding along the coast, mainly because of increasing sea level rise caused by the melting glaciers and the expansion of the sea surface, the ocean and that alone together with our new full moon does cause an increase of minor tidal flooding," Conte said.
He added that while the El Nino weather pattern has boosted coastal activity, the major and most damaging flood events are not permanent.
"We have seen it before. It's cyclical," he said.
Long Island seems to be bearing the brunt of these winter storms, and the convergence of tides and moons has created a mess of floods for coastal communities.
In Freeport, many residents covered their shoes with plastic bags to wade to work after the surge of saltwater overflowed the canal and came up through the storm drains.
"These roads are horrible," resident Michael Spatenga CBS2's Jennifer McLogan. "This is definitely not something people should be driving through every day."
"You are not sure if your car is going to make it through the lake," resident Joanna Schwartz said.
"Honestly I don't know what the solution would be, it's the entire town, when you go down to south Freeport we were driving through two and a half feet of water," said resident Brandon Tasso.
In Lindenhurst, code enforcement officers stood by a roadblock as they warned drivers to proceed with caution because of flooded streets, WCBS 880's Sophia Hall reported.
In Riverhead, Rodeny Dalmeida told CBS2's McLogan that he opted to take a bike instead of a car, past the banks of the Peconic.
"This is going to ice up, and it is really going to be inconvenient for walkers, bicycles, and cars," he said.
Hours after high tide there were still duck swimming on the sidewalk.
In Lindenhurst, code officers monitored streets blocks from the bay that usually never flood. On Tuesday, even school buses were turned away.
Throughout the South Shore, the surge of saltwater, affected by winds and low pressure, high tides, and a new moon, overflowed canals and came up through storm drains.
There have been growing calls for immediate federal and state funding for an Army Corps of Engineers backwater bays water flow study.
"Right now, the state has federal money that it should be releasing to our area, and it's time to cut through this red tape. We need to release monies to get our infrastructure repaired immediately. We cannot keep living like this," New York State Assemblyman, Todd Kaminsky said.
This week, town and village officials gathered with State Sen. Charles Schumer seeking a solution and funding for an Army Corps of Engineers back bays waterflow study to protect south shore homes from flooding.
"This is an incredibly important issue," Town of Hempstead Supervisor Anthony Santino said. "Now we are three years past Hurricane Sandy when coastal flooding along the south shore throughout the Town of Hempstead from the Five Towns all the way across to Freeport where we are now, and into communities like Bellmore and Merrick it's a critical issue."
Without help the struggle in Freeport will mean wading to work, with some residents taping bags over their boots and others needing Humvee rescues.
"Trying to get out and go to work and all the things you need to when everything's flooded, and you are not sure if your car is going to make it through the lake," Joanna Schwartz said.
The new plan is to install a backflow valve system with shutters that would open and close during high tide.
A winter weather advisory is also in effect from 6 p.m. Tuesday until noon Wednesday for New York City, parts of northeast New Jersey and Long Island. Forecasters say 3 to 5 inches of snow are possible.
Forecasters say accumulating snow will affect Tuesday's evening commute and the ride to work on Wednesday. Transportation Department crews have been treating the major highways. However, motorists are advised to use caution.
(TM and © Copyright 2016 CBS Radio Inc. and its relevant subsidiaries. CBS RADIO and EYE Logo TM and Copyright 2016 CBS Broadcasting Inc. Used under license. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)
