Decades of flooding frustrate Valley Stream residents
For homeowners living along the block, the flooding has become an all-too-familiar problem whenever heavy rain moves through the area.
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Heavy rainfall once again flooded a section of Remsen Avenue in Valley Stream, renewing concerns among residents who say poor drainage has plagued the neighborhood for decades.
Water covered part of the roadway during Tuesday’s downpour, forcing some drivers to slow down and carefully navigate the flooded street while others turned around altogether.
For homeowners living along the block, the flooding has become an all-too-familiar problem whenever heavy rain moves through the area.
“I've been dealing with this since I moved here in 2011,” one resident said.
The homeowner, who asked not to be identified, said flooding was limited to the street and sidewalk during the latest storm. In previous rain events, however, water has reached her driveway, backyard and even entered her home.
“It gets into the bottom of my house,” she said. “I had to move my parents out of the bottom and put them into a nursing home because the ambulance refused to come and pick them up when it floods.”
When rainfall eased, floodwaters gradually receded into nearby storm drains. Still, residents said the issue extends far beyond a single storm.
Joe Maci, a longtime Valley Stream resident, said the problem has persisted for roughly 40 years.
“It’s been happening for the last 40 years,” Maci said. “It seems like every time it rains heavily, it always floods this section right here.”
Neighbors said they have repeatedly asked village officials to address the drainage concerns, arguing the flooding has evolved beyond an inconvenience and become a safety issue.
“I feel bad for this house and this house because when it’s bad, they can’t get out of their driveway,” Maci said.
News 12 reached out to the Village of Valley Stream for comment regarding the flooding concerns on Remsen Avenue and has not heard back.
