SHEEPSHEAD BAY'S ONLY INDEPENDENT NEWS BLOG

With Hurricane Sandy relief efforts well underway, the largest challenge now is getting people – especially seniors and the disabled – out of homes lacking heat and hot water as temperatures continue to drop.

To help with that, the city has expanded the number of daytime warming centers available, including many in Southern Brooklyn. The complete list can be found here.

Unfortunately, most of those centers close at 4:00 p.m., leaving residents with few options for the coldest night time hours.

Currently, there are only four overnight shelters available, which you can find here.

Need help getting to any of these shelters? The city is operating shuttle buses in select locations. For all of Brooklyn’s thousands of residents across the borough, they have just one: MCU Park (Cyclones Stadium) Parking Lot at 1904 Surf Avenue at West 17th Street, which will take you to John Jay High School at 237 Seventh Avenue between 4th and 5th Streets.

However, during a press conference at P.S. 195 in Manhattan Beach yesterday, Mayor Bloomberg said getting residents to those shelters is a top priority, and residents can get transportation from the Office of Emergency Management by calling 311. They also say if you begin to feel the effects of hypothermia – beginning with uncontrollable shivering – you should call 911 or flag down a police car, which will get you to a heating center immediately.

Please, don’t take another risk. The cold is poised to be more deadly that Sandy itself. If you have no heat or hot water, find a place to stay that does. Whether it’s the home of family or friends, a welcoming neighbor, or a city shelter – get out, and get to a warm place.

Source: niznoz/Flickr

Councilman Michael Nelson’s office needs your help to get power back to areas still blacked out from Hurricane Sandy.

According to representatives for the councilman, his office is working closely with City Council Speaker Christine Quinn, the Office of Emergency Management and Con Edison to expedite restoration of power to the neighborhood.

But amid the confusion of Hurricane Sandy recovery efforts, identifying priorities remains in the hands of residents.

The councilman’s office is asking that those without power or know of large buildings or blocks without power to email mnelson1@council.nyc.gov, or to call Mary Scarfogliero at (917) 494-6208.

They ask that you include the address of the property without power, and, if you have it, the following information:

• Approximate number of tenants or apartments if a large building or block
• Management company contact information, including name and number, or
• The superintendent’s name and number, or
• If a private property, the name and phone number of the owner.

Residents should also call (800) 75-CONED and file an individual complaint. The office reminds residents not to assume the company knows about it or someone else has lodged a complaint. Areas that receive the most complaints are prioritized by the company.

Additionally, Nelson’s office was flooded during the storm, and so calling his district office or trying to walk in won’t work. Use the contact information about for any requests to his office you may have.

Trucks move freshly pumped sand around Plumb Beach (Source: New York District, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers/Flickr)

Almost immediately after it became clear that Hurricane Sandy, and its alter-ego the Frankenstorm, could come ashore in Long Island or New York City, we reached out to the Army Corps of Engineers to see how work is coming along at Plumb Beach, and if it will withstand the hit.

Army Corps contractors are in the middle of the first stage of sand replenishment at Plumb Beach, where they’re pumping 127,000 cubic yards of sand to restore the heavily eroded beach. With the hurricane slated to hit us before work is completed, we feared that loose sand could be washed away, taking the project a few steps back – and that the Belt Parkway is still at risk.

Not so, according to the Army Corps of Engineers. They say work is coming along nicely, and the most vulnerable areas have already been reshored, protecting the Belt Parkway.

“We’ve actually finished more than half of the sand placement, and are in the process of deploying the temporary geotube groin,” said project manager Dan Falt. “We’re done in the section of the beach that received the most erosion. We will be prepared for the storm, and the sand should do it’s job and protect the Belt Parkway.”

Now let’s just pray the rest of us are just as prepared.

Personally, I love it when the major media whips into a frenzy trying to out-do each other on ridiculous names for storms – be it hurricanes, snowstorms, whatever.

Frankenstorm is definitely going down as one of my favorites.

Frank·en·storm (noun): Dubbed a “super storm,” and by those in media who try too hard, and yet, somehow, not hard enough, as a “perfect storm,” a Frankenstorm is the potentially catastrophic merging of Hurricane Sandy with a large snowstorm and high-tides due to a full moon, and, of course, the important ingredient of occurring on the days surrounding Halloween, to further justify the “Franken” in Frankenstorm.

Pure genius. I hope whoever came up with “Frankenstorm” gets a huge raise and a hug.

Despite all the lunacy surrounding Sandy the Frankenstorm, it’s one to watch. Barreling up from Cuba and the Bahamas, up the east coast, the Category 1 (current status) hurricane has already taken more than 30 lives and caused millions of dollars in damage. It’s expected to further weaken as it works its way up – staying over water – to North Carolina, where it will collide with the snowstorm and veer inland, coming ashore anywhere from Chesapeake Bay up to Long Island or lower New England.

Government forecasters say there’s now a 90 percent chance the East will take a beating, up from 60 percent just two days ago.

Now, some news outlets are doing their best to panic the public. Daily News quoted all the ripe parts of government warnings. Here’s one of their leads:

Hurricane Sandy has the potential to be one of the worst storms  in New York City history, with major flooding and sustained winds of up to 80 mph for at least 24 hours,  says Jerome Hauer, Gov. Cuomo’s Division of Homeland Security commissionerr..

New York could face even worse storm surge flooding  than was anticipated during Hurricane Irene last year and the evacuation of parts of the city susceptible to flooding could be possible, Hauer said. Such decisions could be made by mid-day Saturday, he said.

There’s a lot of “could be” and “potential” and even some “likely” scattered about the article, but one thing the government official makes clear – there are a lot of unknowns at the moment, and hurricanes – like any storm – can take some unpredictable tacks.

All of that is to cut through the media hype for you. But do not get me wrong on this. PREPARE.

Too often when storms like this haul ass towards New York City, neighbors start spouting off conspiracy theories. “Oh, it’s all for ratings,” or “They just want you to buy stuff to help the economy.” Take a look at your Facebook feed. If you didn’t post a message like this yourself, I bet plenty of your friends did.

Listen. Don’t go crazy. Don’t panic. But do prepare. Sheepshead Bay and Southern Brooklyn – as you’ll remember from Hurricane Irene – are within the flood zone and are evacuation areas.

We got lucky with Irene. We may not this time.

Read the Office of Emergency Management’s tip sheet for hurricanes, with locations of evacuation centers, checklist for your go bag, and more. And don’t wait for the last minute – it won’t hurt you to have this stuff at the ready anyway.

The following announcement from the Office of City Council Speaker Christine C. Quinn was forwarded to us by our friend, Ed Jaworski, president of the Marine-Madison-Homecrest Civic Association. If memories of abandoned cars, a blizzard-crippled transit system, stranded ambulances, unplowed thoroughfares, and six-foot-high snowbanks make your blood run cold, that should be impetus enough to attend tomorrow’s hearing. Pertinent details, such as date, time, location and contact information, have been bolded:

Dear New Yorker,

Next Wednesday, November 30th, the City Council’s Committees on Public Safety and Sanitation and Solid Waste Management will be holding a joint oversight hearing on the borough-based snow plans and citywide winter emergency protocols issued by the NYC Department of Sanitation (DSNY) and the Office of Emergency Management (OEM), respectively.

Copies of the DSNY borough-based snow plans are available at http://www.nyc.gov/html/dsny/html/snow_plans_mapping/snowplans.shtml, and the OEM Snow Preparedness and Response Report is available at http://www.nyc.gov/html/oem/downloads/pdf/2011snowreport.pdf.

We know snow removal and other snow-related issues are on many people’s mind, especially as we edge closer to winter, and anyone who wishes to is more than welcome to attend this hearing.

The hearing is scheduled to begin at 1 p.m. in the 14th Floor Committee Room at 250 Broadway in Lower Manhattan.

If you would like to testify, please be sure to register with the sergeant-of-arms on the 14th Floor. Due to increased building security procedures, please bring identification and allot some extra time for entry through the building lobby.

You can also email your written remarks to us at speakerquinn@council.nyc.gov, and we’ll be sure to forward them to the committee’s staff.

If you have any questions about Wednesday’s hearing, please feel free to contact Jarret Hova in the Council’s Infrastructure Division. He can be reached by phone at (212) 788-9104 or email at jhova@council.nyc.gov.

Thanks and have a wonderful weekend.

Sincerely,

Christine C. Quinn

Speaker

NYC Council

 

Peter F. Vallone, Jr.

Chair

Public Safety Committee

NYC Council

 

Letitia James

Chair

Sanitation and Solid Waste Management Committee

NYC Council

From OEM. Click to view the full map.

Sheepshead Bay and much of Brooklyn’s southern coastline could be among the city’s worst hit areas if struck by a hurricane, and the Office of Emergency Management is urging residents to prepare themselves.

All of Manhattan Beach, Brighton Beach, Coney Island and Plumb Beach – in addition to stretches of Sheepshead Bay and Bath Beach – are in high risk flooding areas called Hurricane Evacuation Zone A (orange on the map). Residents in Zone A face the highest risk of flooding from a hurricane’s storm surge. Almost any hurricane or near-hurricane type event making landfall in New York City could cause these areas to flood, requiring evacuation. Most of the rest of Sheepshead Bay, Gravesend, Marine Park and Gerritsen Beach are in Zone B, which could require evacuation if Hurricane Irene makes landfall as a Category 2.

The forecast for Hurricane Irene still remains uncertain, but some projections show that – at current rates – it could hit the Northeastern Seaboard as a Category 2 with winds of up to 100 mph, making it the strongest hurricane to hit the region in decades. Most forecasts, though, suggest it will strike New York City as a Category 1 at worst, which would still wreak havoc in coastal communities – and the city has singled out the area for potential evacuation.

“We’re taking the steps now to ensure that the city is prepared, that essential services can continue to be provided, and that the proper warnings are being given to people,” said Cas Holloway, the deputy mayor for operations, told reporters yesterday.

The city has also announced that the subways and tunnels will be shut down ahead of the storm’s expected landfall to prevent damage to the infrastructure.

The mayor is expected to make a decision about evacuation by late Friday. If the area is evacuated, either by order or recommendation, the nearest refuge centers to Sheepshead Bay’s residents are Roosevelt High School (5800 20th Avenue) and I.S. 187 (1171 65th Street).

Here are some useful links in case of an evacuation:

• Ready New York: Hurricane Guide
• Emergency Supply Kit and Go Bag checklist
• Need to know if where you live/work is in an evacuation zone? Here’s a tool to find out
• Evacuation zone map, with locations of evacuation centers
• Evacuation procedures and recommendations, from OEM

And remember to stay tuned to Sheepshead Bites during the storm. We’ll be reporting on it as it’s happening, and will deliver any breaking news and emergency messages relevant to the area.

Remember the day after the December 26 blizzard? Remember how many streets were left neglected and unplowed and how hard it would have been to have an EMT or fire truck or anything else come to the rescue?

Of course you do, because we never quit whining about them! And, lucky for us, neither did the City Council, which put forward 17 bills to improve the city’s snow response efforts yesterday. Almost all of the proposals emerged from constituent complaints shared during the City Council’s blizzard response hearings.

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The New York City Office of Emergency Management is urging residents to exercise caution as the storm passes over the city. In addition to concerns about weakened trees, flood-prone areas – which include portions of Sheepshead Bay – pose unique threats to residents.

Here is a note published by OEM yesterday:

A Flood Watch is in effect citywide. Flooding is likely, particularly in poor drainage and low lying areas, as rain may fall at a rate of one to two inches per hour during the heaviest periods. Additionally, strong winds will pick up tomorrow afternoon, with sustained winds of 25 to 35 miles per hour and gusts of up to 55 miles per hour are possible. A High Wind Watch is in effect citywide from early Thursday morning through late Thursday night.

To prepare for flooding, and to stay safe once it occurs, OEM has put out a list of tips to protect yourself:

• Before or during heavy rain, remove debris from catch basins in your area to allow the water to enter.
• Pick up the leaves from your yard to keep them from clogging streets and catch basins.
• Avoid walking or driving through flooded streets. As few as six inches of moving water can knock a person over. One to two feet of water can carry away a vehicle.
• Flood water can be contaminated. Avoid contact with sewer water, as it poses a serious heath risk.
• Report any downed power lines and avoid standing in flood water, as it can carry electrical current.
• Bring inside loose, lightweight objects, such as patio furniture, garbage cans, garden tools and toys. Anchor objects that will be unsafe to bring inside, like gas grills or propane tanks.

Flood zones in Southern Brooklyn

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.

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