Rep. Lawler announces $2.1M in federal funds for flood-prone West Nyack neighborhood
The New York State Department of Transportation will also receive $375,000 to begin looking into potential flood mitigation projects along State Routes 59 and 303.
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Clarkstown officials are fortifying an especially flood-prone neighborhood with some financial help secured by a local congressman.
Residents living in the neighborhood off Old Mill Road in West Nyack have experience with the Hackensack River plumping up and pouring water into their yards and basements.
"[It] used to be once every five years. Now it's a couple times a year," resident Barbara Moger said. "Everytime it floods, my husband and I have to take time off from work ... We have to keep an eye on the flooding to keep the water to a minimum."
The Mogers said they have spent more than $100,000 raising their yard, improving drainage on their property and fixing their collapsed patio.
Because of the near-guarantee that one solid storm can turn their yard into a lake, Moger says she has "major anxiety every time I watch the news and get weather or flood watches on the phone."
Moger and several of her neighbors joined Rep. Mike Lawler and Clarkstown Supervisor George Hoehmann for a press conference Thursday on Jeffrey Court where Lawler shared plans to build a berm along the river.
Lawler and Hoehmann announced that $2.1 million was locked down for the berm project.
In all, Lawler helped secure $38 million for projects around his district.
He said the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has been heavily involved in examining the terrain and studying mitigation projects, especially in Rockland County.
"It's very densely populated," Lawler said of the section of Rockland County that is not park land. "You have a lot of rivers flowing through. We're trying to deal with some of these challenges. The engineering is critical to determine the best way to address each of these projects as we move forward."
The New York State Department of Transportation will also receive $375,000 to begin looking into potential flood mitigation projects along State Routes 59 and 303.
"Someone's finally listening to us," Moger said, "and it feels good to finally be heard."
Hoehmann said that if the permit and approval process goes well, the project could begin within a year.
Once started, he said the project would take six to nine months to complete.
