Yonkers 6th District Councilmember Anthony Merante is sounding the alarm after meeting with families along Odell Avenue and Hawley Terrace who say they live in terror every time the skies open. What should be a routine rainstorm instead unleashes flooding, fear, and property damage—threatening lives and livelihoods in the Greystone neighborhood.
“When more than two inches of rain falls in an hour, a raging river forms at the bottom of the hill,” Merante said. “Runoff from North Broadway and the St. John’s Hospital parking lot crashes down the steep slope, flooding homes and streets. Ongoing construction nearby has only made the problem worse. These families are anxious, distressed, and desperate for help.”
Currently, the City requires a $250,000 engineering study before addressing the crisis. Merante insists that waiting for another study is unacceptable.
“People’s lives and homes cannot wait. This issue cannot be kicked down the road any longer,” he emphasized. “We need both a short-term and long-term solution identified now. In fact, the fixes could be straightforward and relatively inexpensive if addressed immediately.”
The Councilmember also pointed to recent disasters as warnings of what may come if action is delayed: The Warburton Avenue parking lot collapse and mudslide, which endangered residents and cost taxpayers dearly. The April mud-rockslide that destroyed Peterson Tool Rental. Their insurance claim was denied under an “earth movement” exclusion, leaving them devastated and uncompensated.
“If Greystone residents suffer a similar disaster, they will be left with nothing. That is unacceptable,” Merante stated. “No Yonkers family should live in terror every time it rains. If any City official had to endure what these residents face storm after storm, they would be demanding immediate action too. These taxpayers deserve better.”
Merante is calling on the Yonkers City Administration to take immediate steps to mitigate the flooding and ensure the safety of residents before another tragedy strikes.
