OMG! A hurricane is going to hit New York City! AGGHGHH!!!
Okay, I believe the whole thing is a bit overblown in the media. Presently, Hurricane Earl is expected to go past the eastern end of Long Island, assuming it doesn’t change course too drastically. But those of us along Southern Brooklyn’s coast still need to worry, as we’re likely to get hit by swelled storm surges, riptides and high winds, a dangerous combination for those in our coverage area. Remember that Sheepshead Bay, Manhattan Beach, Gravesend, Brighton Beach and Marine Park are all flood zones.
Though I don’t think we’ll have any of that roof-ripping action and dangerous tidal waves slamming down our doors, I do think some muddy streets and flooded homes are a possibility. Along with that can come power outages and water contamination. So here are a few things you should do to prepare for the storm:
Though the city says the bike path is complete, bikers now ride on the Belt Parkway because the path is unusable.
In addition to the statements Congressman Anthony Weiner gave, there were two things worth noting on Plumb Beach yesterday, both of which indicate the city is ignoring problems in the area and creating a dangerous situation.
First is that the Parks Department has declared reconstruction work on the Plumb Beach bike path complete. However, any visitor would agree that it’s hardly the case.
Homeowners in Southern Brooklyn face tough environmental challenges, and the insurance industry is turning its back on neighbors.
To help neighbors understand the unique problems Southern Brooklyn’s communities face, and to guide them through insurance options, the Manhattan Beach Neighborhood Association is hosting a question and answer session about homeowner’s insurance in Manhattan Beach. Manhattan Beach resident Stuart Fries, VP of insurance agent/broker Garber Atlas Fries & Associates, will lead the discussion. The event takes place during the group’s general membership meeting at 8 p.m. tonight in P.S. 195 (131 Irwin Street).
According to the NYC Office of Emergency Management, enormous swaths of Brooklyn are in risk of devastating floods. The neighborhoods of Coney Island, Brighton Beach, Manhattan Beach and Sheepshead Bay could be among the worst hit by storm waters as we head into this year’s hurricane season (June 1 to November 30).
The flood map of our neighborhood (above) shows that a Category 1 hurricane can reach in as far as Avenue X, while Category 2 and 3 storms could turn Avenue O into waterfront property.
The silver lining in the recent devastation of Plumb Beach is that community leaders, and city, state, and federal agencies are finally considering long term solutions to erosion issues at Plumb Beach.
Congressman Anthony Weiner once again brought together officials from Department of Transportation, Parks Department, National Parks Service, Community Board 15, and Sheepshead Bay/Plumb Beach Civic on Tuesday, December 1, to survey erosion’s threat to the important ecological zone and the Belt Parkway.
After surveying the damage, all came to a consensus: more needs to be done to protect the beach and highway. Continue Reading »
The devastation caused to Plumb Beach this weekend by the remnants of Hurricane Ida was “No surprise,” according to members of Sheepshead Bay/Plumb Beach Civic Association and experts. As recently as January, officials from the community, city, state, and federal agencies convened at the Plumb Beach bathhouse to discuss protection of the increasingly dangerous bike path and the threatened Belt Parkway. The problem is greater, though, affecting the ecology and wildlife of the entire area.
The meeting, called by Congressman Anthony Weiner to survey nature’s threat, ended with calls for solutions. At the time, the surging waters appeared to be passing underneath the bike path. Water soaked the grass adjacent to the highway, suggesting that erosion was occurring beneath the Belt Parkway as well, undermining its stability. While SBPB Civic proposed a plan to shore up the coast and add more sand and rocks underneath the bike path to strengthen it, nothing has happened. Continue Reading »
This weekend’s storms sparked by Hurricane Ida battered the Plumb Beach coastline, leaving a trail of destruction and providing fuel for a new wave of jurisdictional battles between NYC Parks Department and the U.S. National Parks Service.
The tale of devastation was drawn in the sand, as rubble from the bike path dotted the shore, carving lines to the water. Trees lay like fallen solders, their sides partially submerged and their roots reaching into the air. The water clawed sand out from under roots and rock, leaving everything without ground to stand on. In all, as the hurricane swept up the northeastern coast, it pushed back Plumb Beach’s protective break-line several feet, felling dozens of trees, and crumbling about 100 yards of the bike path. Continue Reading »
For most of us, hurricanes are a pain in the butt. The kite surfers out on Plumb Beach, however, love the waves they kick up, but that inevitably comes to an end as the storms roll in. One surfer, ThePerchik, caught this stunning video of the storm that cancelled kiteboarding in Plumb Beach last Friday, August 21.
