'It was horrible.' Residents reflect on Hurricane Ida's destruction 1 year later

Thursday marked one year since the remnants of Hurricane Ida drenched New York City with historic rainfall and claimed the live of more than a dozen New Yorkers.

News 12 Staff

Sep 1, 2022, 10:10 PM

Updated 766 days ago

Share:

Thursday marked one year since the remnants of Hurricane Ida drenched New York City with historic rainfall and claimed the live of more than a dozen New Yorkers.
It was on Glenwood Road and East 46th Street in East Flatbush where a road turned into a river as cars were stalled by an overflow of water.
The homes in the neighborhood sustained thousands of dollars in damages with their basements literally under water from Ida’s remnants.
Resident Michael Headley said was a nightmare.
"The water was so high, my refrigerator was floating. I had to disconnect my electronics. It was a total mess. Cars were all floating on the block," Headley recalled. "The manhole, the water was gushing from there. It was horrible... all the neighbors lost their cars and basements, but we all recovered."
Ahead of the anniversary, the Governor's Office of Storm Recovery offered an umbrella of protection for New Yorkers as hurricane season approaches, with an action plan valued at $41.2 million in federal funding. It will support initiatives that will help New Yorkers adapt to the effects of climate change.
Gov. Kathy Hochul commented on the anniversary and in the eye of a changing climate.
"Our climate has changed, whether we want to accept it or not. It all has changed. We have to prepare for the very worst. It’s a tough way to live but we have to be prepared. To be able to take care of people and literally save life’s because that’s what we are called to do this time last year," Hochul remarked.
As the city continues to recover, Mayor Eric Adams announced that an additional 2,300 new curb side gardens are to be installed, for a total of 11,000 citywide.
He said these will be places in areas that are historically known for flooding.


More from News 12