CLOSE
Tags Posts tagged with "storm damage"

storm damage

by -
0 521
The Smithtown Library's Main Branch. Photo courtesy of smithlib.org

Smithtown Special Library District Board of Trustees adopt resolution to move  forward with public vote on financing for capital improvement project Public vote to be held on Tuesday, July 1 

At its May 6 special meeting, the Board of Trustees of the Smithtown Special Library  District adopted a resolution to proceed with a community vote on Tuesday, July 1, on the  financing of capital improvement work. The Board is proposing renovations to the  Library’s Smithtown Building, located at One North Country Road, to address damage  caused by the catastrophic storm of August 2024. 

“As most residents are aware, the Smithtown Building suffered devastating damage  to its lower level due to the tremendous level of flooding experienced from the storm,” Library Director Rob Lusak said. “The lower level remains unusable and in need of  significant renovations. It is our hope to reimagine and rebuild the space so that it can once  again serve as a vital resource for the community.” 

Funding will be used to renovate the space to house the Library’s LearnLab (the  makerspace area), a podcast studio for community use, study areas and room for Literacy  Suffolk, which provides literacy services to adults. 

Additionally, the lower level will accommodate the Library’s newly established  Government Services Department, which will house the Patent and Trademark Resource  Center and Passport Acceptance Facility. It will also house the Library’s new Federal  Depository Library collection, which will provide free and open access to government  documents.  

“Our Library was designated as a federal depository library last summer; however,  due to the flood, we were not able to allocate space for this collection,” Lusak said. “We’re  pleased to make this significant addition available to the community.” 

The Richard H. Handley Collection of Long Island Americana (better known to  residents as the “Long Island Room”) will be relocated to the first floor of the building in  museum-quality shelving with temperature and humidity controls, UV-protective glass and  other archival standards in place to preserve and protect the historic documents. 

The total cost of the proposed construction is not to exceed $16.5 million. While it is  anticipated that FEMA funding and/or funds from other sources will be used to pay or  reimburse all or most of the improvement costs, the Library must plan to finance the full  amount to ensure the project can move forward without delay, regardless of the timing or  availability of outside funding.  

This will be done using a combination of bond financing (including the use of bond  anticipation notes, “BANS”) to fund the work in a responsible and cost-effective manner.  BANs are one-year notes that allow the Library to begin construction while it waits for  reimbursement from FEMA. This approach affords the Library the flexibility to finance only  that which it needs and therefore potentially reduce borrowing costs. Once the project is  underway, the Town may issue long-term bonds to repay the BANs and spread the cost of  the improvements over time.  

Should FEMA and/or alternate funding not be available (as unlikely as that may be),  the anticipated cost of the project to the average homeowner in the Smithtown Special  Library District is estimated to not exceed $36 per year for the maximum 15-year term of  the financing.

The referendum will be held on Tuesday, July 1 from 9:30am to 9:00pm at all four  Library buildings. Polling sites are determined by a resident’s home address and the Suffolk  County election districts. 

A Community Open House information session is scheduled for residents on  Tuesday, June 24, from 7:00-9:00pm at the Smithtown Building, located at One North  Country Road. All Smithtown Library District residents are encouraged to attend to learn  more about the proposal and ask any questions they may have prior to the vote.  

“Our libraries are at the heart of the Smithtown community and provide vital  resources and programs for residents of all ages,” Lusak said. “I encourage community  members to learn more about the proposal and how we are reimagining a new chapter for  our building, and to participate in the vote on July 1.” 

All information related to the proposal, as well as detailed voting information, can  be found on the Library’s website, www.smithlib.org. A special mailer will be sent to all  Smithtown Library District residents in June detailing the bond proposition. 

by -
0 1183
1 of 6
A scene from the Stony Brook Village rally on May 31. Photo by Sabrina Artusa
A scene from the Stony Brook Village rally on May 31. Photo by Sabrina Artusa
A scene from the Stony Brook Village rally on May 31. Photo by Sabrina Artusa
A scene from the Stony Brook Village rally on May 31. Photo by Sabrina Artusa
A scene from the Stony Brook Village rally on May 31. Photo by Sabrina Artusa
A scene from the Stony Brook Village rally on May 31. Photo by Sabrina Artusa

By Sabrina Artusa

Nine months after 9 inches of rain blew out the Stony Brook Mill Pond dam, rupturing Harbor Road and draining the Mill Pond, residents organized in front of the cracked asphalt and marshy hollow to urge reconstruction. 

Politicians from the Town of Brookhaven and Head of the Harbor as well as members of Ward Melville Heritage Organization were present at the two-hour rally on May 31 and fielded questions of ownership, Federal Emergency Management Agency reimbursement and a potential timeline. 

The lack of progress is due to ownership disputes, with both Brookhaven officials and Ward Melville Heritage Organization President Gloria Rocchio stating they don’t own the road. 

Beth Zweig, a Head of the Harbor resident who helped organize the rally, said, “I noticed nothing was happening and… really just wanted to get an update on where things were.” After communicating with other residents and Head of the Harbor Mayor Mike Utevsky, Zweig learned of the “bureaucratic roadblock.”

“The residents are not happy and we won’t accept a stalemate,” Zweig said. “If it is a stalemate we aren’t going to make any progress.” 

Originally, the TOB thought it did own the road and began setting aside funds, said Councilmember Jonathan Kornreich (D, Stony Brook), before a title report produced by the town’s attorney proved the town does not own the road. An easement agreement signed by Rocchio corraborates the report and was presented at the rally. The 2007 contract allowed the Paul Simons Foundation permission to build a paved walkway on Harbor Road.

Rocchio is working with her own attorneys and says her organization is not responsible for the road. She said the organization doesn’t own roads, except for Mill Creek Road. 

“There is no real danger of an outlay of money and not getting that money back; we have been reassured by the state of New York that reimbursement will be made,” TOB Supervisor Dan Panico (R) said. He continued, noting federal trends with funding. “Right now we are guaranteed 75% reimbursement. In the future, we may be looking at zero.” 

He went on to say that, as the ecosystem begins to rebound, the argument against replacing the dam and letting the area grow may gain momentum. 

Many residents, particularly those from Head of the Harbor who lost their main passageway to their residences, are concerned about access to emergency services. 

“It is an ecological disaster. It is a medical crisis waiting to happen because there are so little ulterior roads to service the villages,” said Mickey Conlon. 

“All it’s going to take is one person to die because an ambulance can’t get in and something is going to happen,” said Tom Postillo, who frequently visited Mill Pond. 

“This is the village center, not only for residents, but for tourists who bring a great deal of business,” said another resident.

Head of the Harbor Mayor Michael Utevsky said that the entities have been in a lock for months and that at “every meeting it seemed there is something about to happen” but a solution never came to fruition.

Some residents felt that a go-around must exist and hoped the entities could work together. Kornreich and Panico said it was impossible for the town to expend taxpayer money on private property. 

“I am paying an enormous amount of taxes to Brookhaven, to Suffolk County, to New York,” said Laura Sclafani, a Stony Brook resident. “Why aren’t they paying?”

Sclafani said she is grateful for how the organization preserved the land. “They keep [the village center] great. I don’t want them bankrupt,” she said. 

“We need the owner to do this. We would love to do this. If there is a title report that says the town owns it, give it to me today and I will sign it tomorrow, so we can make a straight-faced application to FEMA before they go out of business,” Kornreich said. 

“I think today was very productive, we got to know each other more,” Rocchio said. “I think the myths have been eliminated.” 

by -
0 2120
1 of 3
The Forestwood Civic Association meeting on April 30. Photo by Sabrina Artusa
The Forestwood Civic Association meeting on April 30. Photo by Sabrina Artusa
The Forestwood Civic Association meeting on April 30. Photo by Sabrina Artusa

By Sabrina Artusa 

Residents of Forestwood continue to monitor changes to Blydenburgh County Park, which sits in the heart of their community. At a Forestwood Civic Association meeting, Suffolk County Chief Engineer Alexander Prego fielded questions regarding the design and timeline for a new dam, an essential step in the process of refilling Stump Pond.

The timeline for the lake, a signature characteristic of this national historic site and a major draw for hikers, fishers and kayakers, has been uncertain as county officials navigate permitting and funding. 

“Our goal is to build it back better,” Prego said. “That failure that occurred last fall — we need to make sure that we build it for more than that.” The failed dam was classified as Class A, or a low-hazard dam, where failure could result in damage to roads and undeveloped land with an unlikely risk of “substantial economic loss or substantial environmental damage.” The new dam will likely be Class B, or intermediate hazard, reflecting the reality of August’s storm and its potential for “downstream damage,” according to Suffolk County Department of Public Works Commissioner Charlie Bartha. The more “substantial” dam will require more periodic inspections from the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation. 

Blydenburgh is on a watershed, meaning the water from over 12,000 acres of land accumulated at the park. “We need to estimate how much water of that 12,000 will be coming in during a 25- or 100-year storm,“ Prego said. The new dam and spillway will be able to handle 225% of a 100-year storm. They installed five stream gauges to record rainfall and tide data. “We need to measure everything coming in here,” he said. 

In April, Suffolk County Executive Ed Romaine (R) released a document detailing the steps to be completed, which include permitting and inspections from several different departments such as the DEC and the New York State Historic Preservation Office. Prego said the county aims to have permitting and plans completed by the end of this year.

Of the $6.6 million of county money dedicated to rebuilding, the mapping, engineering planning and other analyses used $500,000. 

In addition, they plan to add a fish ladder to promote the migration of the American eel, brook trout and river otters. 

Forestwood residents expressed concern for trail accessibility for horses as well as the safety hazard posed by the soft, muddy surface of the empty lake. “What are you going to do to protect the pond area and at the same time protect the kids in our neighborhood?” one resident asked. 

The swamp-like crater was described as looking like “a breeding ground for mosquitoes” by one resident, who then asked how it is being treated. The county can use larvicide to eliminate mosquitoes before they hatch, said Suffolk County Council on Environmental Quality Vice Chair Michael Kaufman. 

Members of the Suffolk County Department of Parks were invited but were not present for the meeting. Forestwood civic President Robert Sikora called their absence “very disappointing.” 

“They should’ve been here,” he said. “This is a park discussion.” Indeed, several residents had questions about trail maintenance that did not fall into the purview of the public works department.

by -
0 1114
1 of 5
The newly reopened Mill Creek Road. Photo courtesy the Ward Melville Heritage Organization
Mill Creek Road. Photo by Caroline O'Callaghan
Mill Creek Road. Photo by Caroline O'Callaghan
Mill Creek Road. Photo by Caroline O'Callaghan
Mill Creek Road. Photo by Caroline O'Callaghan

By Caroline O’Callaghan  

Village of Head of the Harbor residents and local officials showed up Wednesday, May 7, to mark the triumphant ribbon cutting for the reopening of the scenic side street Mill Creek Road, which had been severely damaged from the catastrophic floods that occurred Aug. 18 2024, destroying the entrance to Harbor Road and the adjoining Mill Pond. Officials expressed their hope in what lies ahead for the massive reconstruction project of Harbor Road, since it is a critical access point for residents as well as emergency vehicles traveling to the nearby university hospital. 

In acknowledgment, Gloria Rocchio, president of the Ward Melville Heritage Organization, spoke of the impressive completion of the road, which couldn’t have been orchestrated without the ingenuity of Excav Services Inc. Vice President Dylan Governale and team. 

“I just learned this morning that these pieces of steel, each one is 30 feet long, it’s 66 pieces of steel here, and it ended up being 23 sections. So, this man worked through sleet, snow, rain, fall leaves coming down and spring coming, and he did it in six months. He’s an amazing young fellow. We congratulate you,” Rocchio spoke of Governale. “To see this completed is extraordinary. It took a lot of effort from a lot of staff people and myself, but we accomplished it in six months, and I look forward to seeing the other road [Harbor Road] completed,” she continued.

Village of Head of the Harbor Mayor Michael Utevsky was also in attendance. He recalled the early days of the road’s reconstruction as chaotic. “There was no road here, there was no bluff — the whole bluff was collapsing. Trees were falling into the creek. The creek had been diverted to this side, right against the bluff, so there was continuing erosion of the bluff,” said Utevsky. “The first thing that [Governale] did was rechannel the creek back where it belonged. Then they had to rebuild the bluff. They had to drive in the steel files. They had to put in vertical deadmen to hold it, so this is just artificially built to reconstruct what used to be here.” 

Before billowing floodwaters reclaimed the street-lined bluff, the asphalt on Mill Creek had stood since 1888 and was 1 foot thick — a very prestigious feat of engineering for that time period, according to Utevsky. “Most roads in our village are old carriage paths which have very little foundation and not much asphalt, so I’m surprised by how much asphalt they found here,” Utevsky said. 

Despite the celebratory turnout, officials who have been overseeing the restoration of Harbor Road and its surrounding area since August remain discouraged over the lack of progress that’s been made to the main road. Legislator Steve Englebright (D, East Setauket) felt that it was important to center the natural disaster in the discussion, rather than project blame on human failure. “The event was an act of nature…What we need to do is acknowledge that this storm — which killed three people in Connecticut and damaged the whole north central part of Long Island — wasn’t any human being’s fault. If we can acknowledge and agree to that then we can go to the next step which is to agree to work together to solve this problem,” said Englebright. 

Englebright emphasized the main priority of restoring Harbor Road would be to service residents in emergency situations, he continued, “Harbor Road being out [of service] right now worries me because for the residents who might have a need for emergency care, or need to get to the university hospital right now, they have to go the long way around and that could cost lives.” 

The project was not without challenges. Most of the road was done in January, then Governale had to wait for some items in order to finalize it. 

Governale hopes the build can offer residents a sense of relief that the task of an effective, total restoration for Harbor Road is coming. 

He said, “It will restore some normalcy to the residents that live down this road, finally.”

by -
0 711
The Smithtown Library's Main Branch reopened the first floor on May 5. Photo by Sabrina Artusa

For eight months, the Smithtown library’s Main Branch on North Country Road was closed. Readers were able to visit other branches, but the library is more than just a place to exchange books. 

The library is certainly a hub of ideas and information, full of fiction, nonfiction and history. It is also an essential resource for those who need to use a computer but don’t have one, or would like access to free wifi. One of the few places where economic class doesn’t play a role, the library provides a haven with no spending expectations. You can learn how to play mahjong or fold a piece of paper into an intricate origami figure. Gardening clubs and sewing clubs meet regularly. Offering a podcast and community room, the library provided the setting for numerous friendly conversations. 

Walking through the doors again on May 5, patrons are greeted by friendly staff. In the entrance corridor, a television plays recordings from the destructive rains of August 19 and a sped-up recording of the subsequent work. In one recording, water pushes furniture and shelves around like toys. Books float away and out of the recording. In another, the murky brown water slowly fills the hall until suddenly, the pressure pushes out the wall. In a picture, books lay in piles across the floor–any reader would cringe at the sight. The library is back though, and will return fully in coming months, with the bottom and second floors open and services and programs once again available. However, the status of libraries is precarious as the administration looks to cut funding.

When the Smithtown building closed, many card-holders travelled to other branches. When the federal government began eliminating grants to libraries, we imagined what we would do without an accessible library.   

The Institute of Museum and Library Services is not guaranteed. While libraries will still exist without the small federal agency, which only employed around 70 people and from the perspective of the federal government is unnecessary, they may not receive grants for programming or internships. Recently, a judge blocked a move to place its employees on temporary leave, giving the institute a reprieve. However, the agency is still at risk of getting washed out; it is possible resources and programs will get carried away by the swift stream of government efficiency. 

In the meantime though, the wonderful librarians and administrators at the Smithtown library are ensuring that residents have access to the wealth of knowledge inside.

by -
0 974
1 of 4
The Smithtown Library's Main Branch reopens. Photo by Sabrina Artusa
The Smithtown Library's Main Branch reopens. Photo by Sabrina Artusa
A patron sitting at a table in the Cornelia Butler Reading Room. Photo by Sabrina Artusa
A patron visits the newly reopened Smithtown Library. Photo by Sabrina Artusa

By Sabrina Artusa 

For the first time in 8 months, the Smithtown Library building’s doors are open. Patrons can once again browse shelves of books on the first floor of the library, previously closed due to the immense damage inflicted by the August, 2024, 100-year storm. 

Smithtown Library card-holders were able to visit the Nesconset, Commack and Kings Park buildings during the hiatus, and staff worked out of other branches. Services are still limited, as the community room and much of the media offerings were in the basement.

Smithtown Library Director Rob Lusak said the reopening was “a heartfelt moment.” Patrons and public officials turned up on the morning of May 5 as the library doors opened at 9:30 a.m., as they have done many times before. This time, though, the reopening was especially memorable. It reflected the months of hard work from public officials and library staff, as well as the immeasurable support from the community.

After the storm, the displaced employees had to build skills not many librarians would expect to use. For months, Lusak and his staff coordinated with contractors, learned the nuances of HVAC systems and the technicalities of rebuilding. They hauled soaked debris from the basement and salvaged what they could. They learned how to communicate with the Federal Emergency Management Association.  They flew to Michigan, where the majority of the rare-book collection is getting restored. Lusak said 42 of the 46 pallets of books will be restored by Prism Specialties. The remaining four pallets not restored by the company  will be restored by library workers.. 

The circulation staff, Lina O’Brien, Kim Seliger and Mary Bonamo worked at other branches since the storm. Seliger had been at the Smithtown building for 22 years. “I am happy to be back, even in a limited capacity,” she said. O’Brien had started at the Smithtown Library as a page, working her way up. 

Some staff members lost their belongings and offices in the storm. O’Brien said she saw a note she had written floating away in the video tape that recorded the storm, along with her desk. Assistant Library Director and Building Manager Eileen Caulfield lost her entire office. For now, she set up her computer right by the entrance. 

Patrons, too, are happy to be back among the familiar shelves and tables. In the children’s section, Jack Cotrone played with toy dinosaurs on the freshly steamed carpet floor. “He has been talking about coming back all year,” his mother Laura Cotrone said as Jack sat immersed with the toys. “They did a great job – it’s beautiful. I felt so bad with all the damage.” 

The damage required new HVAC and electrical systems, fire alarms and the complete emptying of the basement.

Peggy Micciche, a life-long Smithtown resident, said she used to visit the library every Tuesday night with her father, continuing her frequent visits into adulthood in order to study genealogy. “It is wonderful to have it back,” she said, adding that while she visited other branches, the nostalgic charm of the Smithtown building cannot be replaced. 

The library will be closed Friday evening and on Sunday as it continues to undergo repairs. The elevator is expected to be operational in the summer, allowing access to the mezzanine. 

by -
0 863
The lower level of the Smithtown Library's main branch has been restored after Aug. 19 storm. Photo by Robert Lusak
1 of 10
The lower level of the Smithtown Library's main branch has been restored after Aug. 19 storm. Photo by Robert Lusak
The lower level of the Smithtown Library's main branch has been restored after Aug. 19 storm. Photo by Robert Lusak
The lower level of the Smithtown Library's main branch has been restored after Aug. 19 storm. Photo by Robert Lusak
The lower level of the Smithtown Library's main branch has been restored after Aug. 19 storm. Photo by Robert Lusak
The lower level of the Smithtown Library's main branch has been restored after Aug. 19 storm. Photo by Robert Lusak
The lower level of the Smithtown Library's main branch has been restored after Aug. 19 storm. Photo by Robert Lusak
The lower level of the Smithtown Library's main branch has been restored after Aug. 19 storm. Photo by Robert Lusak
The lower level of the Smithtown Library's main branch has been restored after Aug. 19 storm. Photo by Robert Lusak
The lower level of the Smithtown Library's main branch has been restored after Aug. 19 storm. Photo by Robert Lusak
The lower level of the Smithtown Library's main branch has been restored after Aug. 19 storm. Photo by Robert Lusak

By Sabrina Artusa

After the Aug. 19 storm, the lower level of the Smithtown Library’s main branch at 1 North Country Road had to be cleaned and gutted. The stairwell has been repainted and all electriclal equipment has been removed. Now, the floor is a blank slate. Smithtown Library Director Robert Lusak views this as an opportunity to re-situate the floor to make it a better, nicer area.  

–Photos by Robert Lusak

by -
0 727
A scene of destruction in Western North Carolina after Tropical Storm Helene. Photo courtesy of Wikimedia Commons/NCDOTcommunications

By Kurt Johnsen  

On August 19, 2024, a “thousand-year” rain event breached Harbor Road and drained the Stony Brook Mill Pond. TBR News Media published my memoir of my personal relationship with the pond and my deep sorrow of its loss on Aug. 29.

I live in Asheville, North Carolina and on September 28, I awoke to a Natural Disaster that was beyond my comprehension. Tropical storm Helene had scourged our beloved Western North Carolina.  I’ll first note that my wife and I were fine, and our home only suffered minor damage. I stepped outside and began to witness what was soon to be apparent destruction of “biblical” proportion.

Overnight, 40 to 100 miles-per-hour winds had ravaged our region. Asheville received 14 inches of rain, much of Western North Carolina received two feet of rain and even up to 30 inches, all in the previous two days. Trees were downed everywhere and with them thousands of power lines cutting off electricity and making even simple travel down the road impossible. Soon, the magnitude of the destruction started to become evident. 

Close to 900,000 acres of forest were downed or damaged, thousands of homes were destroyed and 150,000 people were displaced. If you haven’t yet, you can go on YouTube and watch the hundreds of videos showing events that, before this, we only witnessed from afar often in third world countries. Two miles from our house  Biltmore Village was flooded and EVERY business was gutted or ripped down. Eighty percent of our beloved River Arts District was destroyed. The torrents caused massive mudslides. Across the region, houses were torn apart and floated  like balsa wood along powerful rivers that, two days prior, were small streams and brooks. 

There are 104 verified storm-related deaths. It is Incredulous this number isn’t higher. Vehicles, homes, businesses were piled like matchsticks. People’s lives were upended and, for many, will never be the same. Even now, as you drive out to smaller towns that were virtually destroyed,  you proceed through a “tunnel” of the hulks of demolished cars, trucks, houses and other flotsam.

The main Pipeline from the reservoir that supplies most of Asheville with water was shattered and under 28 feet of thick muck! Water immediately ceased flowing out of the tap for, in most cases, months and even longer to become potable. Asheville’s unemployment rate jumped from three to 9 percent overnight. The lack of affordable housing, already a crisis for service industry employees in our tourist-based economy, was extraordinarily exacerbated overnight.

Stop reading for a minute and imagine the all-too-real picture I have painted above. Now, let me put this in perspective. The Mill Pond is approximately 11 acres in size. That is 0.001 percent of the area that was impacted in WNC from Helene. And now, much of Los Angeles looks like Dresden after the firebombing. I will not go far out on a limb to say we have reached the “tipping point”; climate change is now ravaging our planet.  James Taylor sang “I’ve seen fire and I’ve seen rain.” He had no idea how prophetic his prose would become. 

Author Kurt Johnsen, who grew up in idyllic Stony Brook,  now resides in  Asheville, North Carolina.

by -
0 880
Cleanup efforts are underway at the Stony Brook Mill Pond. Photo by Denis Lynch

On Aug. 18, an intense rainfall event — dropping approximately 10 inches overnight — resulted in catastrophic flooding, severely damaging local landmarks including the Stony Brook Mill Pond, the Stony Brook Grist Mill (1751), and Avalon Nature Preserve.

We are calling on all levels of government — federal, New York State, the Department of Environmental Conservation, the NYS Department of Transportation, Suffolk County and the towns of Brookhaven, Smithtown and Village of Head of the Harbor — to collaborate in the restoration efforts. It is imperative that every elected official work together to restore the Stony Brook Mill Pond, Stony Brook Grist Mill and Avalon Park’s primary access route.

These cherished heritage and nature destinations are integral to our communities, encouraging visitors to explore both the rich history and the natural beauty of the area. Both the Stony Brook Mill Pond and the Stony Brook Grist Mill are listed on the New York State and National Registers of Historic Places. 

The Stony Brook Mill Pond has been of ecological and economic importance for centuries. Before the storm, it provided sustenance and shelter for a variety of wildlife species and played a critical role in stormwater management. The Mill Pond has been a vital component of the Grist Mill’s operations, powering the waterwheel of this iconic Long Island landmark since 1751.

Avalon Nature Preserve, a protected area spanning 216 acres —140 of which are accessible to the public — boasts diverse flora and fauna. It features walking trails, a wildflower meadow and woodlands. Access to the Avalon Nature Preserve has been severely impacted by the destruction of Harbor Road.

The Three Village Chamber of Commerce respectfully asks for your support in these restoration efforts. Representing the Three Village business network, this work is vital to helping the business community in Stony Brook thrive once again. 

Thank you for your attention to this urgent matter.

Three Village Chamber of Commerce

Board of Directors

President Carmine Inserra

Michael Ardolino

Heather Banoub

Robert Brown

Perry Cassidy

Leah S. Dunaief

Colette Frey-Bitzas

Susie Kaiserman

Kenneth P. Kroncke

Ronald J. LaVita

Edwin Miller

Andy Polan

David Prestia

Gloria Rocchio

Nicole Sarno

Martha Stansbury

John C. Tsunis

President Emeritus Charles Lefkowitz

by -
0 1125
Cleanup efforts are underway at the Stony Brook Mill Pond. Photo by Toni-Elena Gallo

By Toni-Elena Gallo

On Wednesday, Nov. 20, construction began on Mill Creek Rd. in Stony Brook Village, following August’s catastrophic flooding. The storm not only collapsed the road, but emptied Stony Brook’s Mill Pond, caused destruction to surrounding homes and displaced the area’s wildlife.

According to Gloria Rocchio, president of the Ward Melville Heritage Organization, it is a bit of poetic justice that construction began on Wednesday, as it was “exactly 90 days” since the flood hit. However, the rebuilding of Stony Brook is far from complete.

“The Town of Brookhaven will be doing the road and they’re in the design stage at this point. As for tomorrow, they’ll probably start taking down trees,” said Rocchio. “They’re going to start clearing what’s in the creek, because right now, there’s pieces of cesspool down by the grist mill. There’s also a white film on some of the muck, which I heard is detergent, meaning every time the tide goes in and out, the water is taking it to different places,” she continued. The Grist Mill, a Stony Brook staple since 1751, may have up to eight feet of “sand and muck” impacting its turning capabilities, Rocchio said.

Rocchio described the aftermath of August’s storm as “all-consuming” but said she is focused on rectifying the situation and restoring the Stony Brook Mill Pond to its former state.

The WMHO president also stressed the importance of avoiding the collapsed area on Harbor and Main streets as well as the drained Mill Pond itself. She explained that curious passersby have been found standing in the creek, Mill Pond and mud near Harbor Rd. “When we did a cleanup with volunteers, someone got very badly stuck in there. It is like quicksand,” Rocchio said.

In light of the federal government’s response to Gov. Kathy Hochul on Monday that Suffolk County’s flood damage is “not of the severity and magnitude to warrant the designation of Individual Assistance,” Rocchio said many homeowners, including Ron Borgese—a man who lost a portion of his home on the corner of Main St. and Harbor Rd.—have been left reeling.

“Apparently, the area is not devastated enough, but I don’t know how much more devastated you need to be,” Borgese said in a phone interview.

“The house is condemned and the property is shot. So far, I got nothing from anybody.”

Borgese is currently staying with family while awaiting word on assistance. He does not have flood insurance.

Rocchio said the community’s support during this time has deeply touched her, noting that people have donated amounts ranging from $50 to “thousands.”

In the coming weeks, WMHO will host a Christmas auction to raise money for storm damage relief.

For more information on FEMA’s decision, visit www.tbrnewsmedia.com.

123Next Page 1 of 3
TBR News Media is your local news and entertainment website.
We provide you with the latest breaking news and information for your community.
Contact us: [email protected]

Most Viewed

©