Westchester communities brace for potential impacts from Tropical Storm Ophelia
In Mamaroneck, village leaders asked all residents to move their cars to higher ground because of potential flooding.
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Westchester communities prepared on Friday for potential impacts from Tropical Storm Ophelia, which also prompted the cancellations of some weekend events.
In Mamaroneck, village leaders asked all residents to move their cars to higher ground because of potential flooding.
MORE: TRACKING OPHELIA: Tropical storm to bring rain, chilly winds for the Hudson Valley
The village is at the bottom of several watersheds and there are two rivers that flow through the area. With these conditions, a downpour could send water downhill into the village from several directions.
Jillian Padilla, of MBE Environmental Services, remediates mold following weather events. She said they're always doing a lot of work in this section of Westchester, because it floods frequently.
Padilla also said that the remnants of Hurricane Ida, which pummeled the village almost exactly two years ago, are still in peoples' minds, so any storm that rolls through the area is a cause for concern. She said her team would be ready for anything.
"So we're preparing for the floods, remediation and everything that's coming up," she said.
The village announced that almost all the events planned for the weekend are either canceled or postponed because of flood risk.
Similarly, over in Yonkers, city officials there said this weekend's Riverfest was pushed to a later date because of the inclement weather.
Residents lined up at the city's recycling center Friday afternoon to pick up sandbags to use as barriers to prevent possible flooding. Yonkers Public Works employees said they had distributed 200 sandbags by 5 p.m. and were running low.
A recent burst of rain caused flooding in some basements in a few different neighborhoods, including the area along O'Dell Avenue.
Resident Eloisa Garcia said all it took was a quick downpour to send water flowing into her garage and basement. She said she is better prepared for this weekend's inclement weather.
"In reality, everything is pretty safe. The only thing is I have to make sure I don't have cables, like electrical cables, on the floor. I think it will be fine," Garcia said.
