Residents on Long Island’s north shore are assessing the damage after torrential rains Sunday through Monday caused flash floods, dam breaks and landslides. Suffolk County authorities estimate reconstruction efforts will cost more than $50 million.
Two dams – at Mill Pond in Stony Brook and Blydenburgh Lake in Smithtown – broke, sending a flood of water into surrounding homes and streets.
At a meeting at Blydenburgh County Park on Tuesday, Suffolk County Executive Ed Romaine said it could take years to repair the damage.
“This is a major disaster that was not anticipated,” Romaine said. “If you follow the news and the weather like I do, you see that the storms hitting Long Island would be minor and the greatest damage would be in Connecticut. Well, these storms came south and all of northern Suffolk suffered.”
Connecticut was hit hard by flash floods and heavy rains. Two people lost their lives in the floods.
The damage prompted Connecticut Governor Ned Lamont to declare a state of emergency on Monday and request a federal emergency declaration on Tuesday. The measures will free up resources and get them to the affected areas more quickly.
His counterpart, New York Governor Kathy Hochul, has not declared a state of emergency.
“The state is in regular contact with Suffolk County authorities and is supporting our local partners,” a spokesman for Hochul said in a statement, adding that Department of Homeland Security and emergency services personnel are involved in local operations to assist with shelter and supplies.
The Long Island chapter of the Red Cross said it was assisting dozens of affected residents, including in the Port Jefferson Station and Huntington areas.
