_ritter_
Gadfly
Two articles from The New York Times about flooding on the Delaware River:
Yes. The New York Times - not The Times Herald Record.
Question:
Is the NYC DEP negligent for property / casuality damages from this flood in the New York, Pennsylvania and New Jersey communites south of their reservoirs at Downsville, NY and Stilesville, NY since the NYC DEP had more than 20% of water in reserve [source
RBC] for mid September and also knowing that more rain was coming from the remnants of Hurricane Ivan along with the ground being waterlogged from 15 inches of rain from mid July through mid September. With all of these facts before them - why were they were reluctant to release water from the bottom of their reservoirs during July and August which would have resulted no spillage over the top of both Pepacton and Cannonsville and less damage?
TR
www.delawareriverfishing.com
Articles:
http://www.nytimes.com/2004/09/19/nyregion/19weather.html
Hurricane Ivan's Last Gasp Leaves New York Region Soaked
By ALAN FEUER
Published: September 19, 2004
The remnants of Hurricane Ivan sloshed into New York City and environs yesterday, shutting down large patches of the city's subway system, causing New Jersey to declare a state of emergency in four counties and threatening to flood rivers as far north as Sullivan County, N.Y.
Hundreds of weekend riders were inconvenienced as service on several Manhattan subway lines was suspended for a few hours yesterday morning.
The 1, 2 and 3 lines were shut down from Times Square to 96th Street because of flooding from 9:40 a.m. to about noon, said Paul J. Fleuranges, a New York City Transit spokesman. The 4, 5 and 6 lines from Grand Central Terminal to 125th Street were also closed from roughly 9 a.m. to noon, Mr. Fleuranges said.
Mr. Fleuranges said that the F train from Jay Street in Brooklyn to 34th Street was temporarily shut down because of burning insulation on some track equipment at the West Fourth Street station.
One frustrated commuter, having suffered through suspension of the F train, bellowed in the subway car, "This service stinks!" When the F was then suddenly shifted to the tracks of the A train, he buried his head in his hands and groaned.
By 10 a.m. yesterday, 2.25 inches of rain had fallen in New York City, said Geoff Cornish, a meteorologist at Pennsylvania State University. The heaviest rainfall was between 8 and 9 a.m., he said, when 1.15 inches was recorded in Central Park.
The downpour was caused by the tail end of Ivan's warm moist air pushing northeast from the Southern states and colliding with a cold front that was already hovering in the region, Mr. Cornish said. He said that the cold front would most likely bring chilly winds today that could gust up to 20 or 30 miles per hour in New York.
"It will really feel like autumn," he said.
One of the hardest hit areas in the region was Sullivan County, about 90 miles north of New York City, which declared a state of emergency yesterday morning. One town in the county, Long Eddy, had 5.34 inches of rain by 8:20 a.m., Mr. Cornish said.
Daniel Hogue, the Sullivan County sheriff, said he had closed all roads in the county except to emergency vehicles. "We don't want any joy riders out there," he said.
Sheriff Hogue said that the authorities had evacuated hundreds of people from flooded areas in the towns of Highland, Callicoon and Lumberland. Some evacuations also took place in the townships of Roscoe and Livingston Manor, Sheriff Hogue said.
County officials were concerned that the Delaware River might overflow its banks. Sheriff Hogue said it was likely that, by this morning, the river could rise as much as 10 feet over flood stage.
In New Jersey, Gov. James E. McGreevy declared a state of emergency in Warren, Hunterdon, Sussex and Mercer Counties, The Associated Press reported. Officials in Warren Country were trying to evacuate about 2,000 residents in several communities along the Delaware River.
Joe Orlando, a spokesman for the New Jersey Turnpike Authority, said two highway ramps in or near Newark - 14A and 15E - were temporarily shut down by flooding.
In Connecticut, where nearly three inches of rain fell in parts of the state, a boater died after his 31-foot trimarin capsized in Long Island Sound near Niantic Bay in six-foot seas and winds of 50 knots, The A.P. reported.
In Manhattan, at the West Fourth Street subway station, Kate Greenthal and Leah Brunski, both 23, were desperately trying to get to the Bronx for the big game between the Yankees and the Boston Red Sox. They had started out on the 4 train on the East Side, but when they found that it was shut down they walked west to take the B or D lines.
"When we got here, it was no dice again," Ms. Greenthal said.
In the Bronx, the rain caused a brick retaining wall about 30 feet high by 100 feet long to collapse, sending tons of soil and asphalt slamming into the rear of two attached six-story apartment buildings at 2770 and 2780 Kingsbridge Terrace, according to a spokeswoman for the Department of Buildings, Jennifer Givner. No one was injured at the buildings, though all of the apartments were evacuated, she said.
Ann Farmer, Winnie Hu and Howard O. Stier contributed reporting for this article.
http://www.nytimes.com/2004/09/20/nyregion/20flooding.html
Thousands Evacuated as Delaware River Floods
By DAVID KOCIENIEWSKI
Published: September 20, 2004
TRENTON, Sept. 19 - _Thousands of people were forced to flee their homes along the Delaware River on Sunday, after heavy rains Saturday from the remnants of Hurricane Ivan caused the river to swell to its highest level in decades.
The river spilled over its banks along an 80-mile stretch from Easton, Pa., as far south as Trenton, forcing the authorities to close several bridges, shut down flooded roadways and evacuate homes. There were no deaths or serious injuries reported, but one house in Phillipsburg, N.J., was uprooted by the waters and carried downriver several hundreds yards before hitting a bridge.
Although the waters were expected to crest by 10 p.m. Sunday, a flood warning was to remain in effect until at least Monday morning, said Sgt. Kevin Rehmann, a spokesman for the New Jersey state police.
In Trenton, where the waters reached nearly 25 feet above flood level, about 1,000 people left their homes, stretches of Route 29 were submerged and state workers filled sandbags to protect office buildings near the river. About 75 people spent Saturday night or part of Sunday at an emergency shelter in the Joseph Stokes Memorial School, including about a dozen residents from the Water's Edge home for the elderly in South Trenton, which was evacuated Saturday afternoon.
Mercer County's sheriff, Kevin Larkin, said that some residents may not be able to return to their homes until Tuesday.
"We're just telling them, we are going to protect your residences and if you can just put up with a little discomfort for a couple of days, we'll get you back to normal," the sheriff said.
Across the river, in Bucks County, Pa., more than 1,600 people were evacuated, according to Ann Machesic, a county spokeswoman. Some of the most severe flooding occurred in Yardley, where sections of the town's tiny downtown were closed and some homes and businesses near the river were reportedly knee-deep in water.
The flooding came a day after torrential rain pounded sections of Pennsylvania, New Jersey and upstate New York, leaving five inches of rain in some communities. On Saturday, Gov. James E. McGreevey of New Jersey declared a state of emergency for Mercer, Hunterdon, Sussex and Warren Counties, and by early Sunday, emergency service officials were beginning to evacuate some neighborhoods near the river's edge.
Joseph Quick, 76, said he was resting in his room at the River's Edge home on Saturday when teams of emergency workers and staff members led him and other residents out of the building.
"I'd like to go back," said Mr. Quick, as he pushed his walker in the emergency shelter. "They pulled me out of my bed."
A meteorologist from the National Weather Service, Joe Miketta, said the flooding was more severe than it was during the last major flood on the Delaware, in 1996. Saturday's rains were caused by the remains of Hurricane Ivan, which killed 70 people in the Caribbean and another 43 along the Gulf Coast of the United States. In some parts of New Jersey, the rain fell at one and a half inches per hour, Mr. Miketta said, and when the runoff reached the Delaware, the sheer volume of water caused the river to spill over its banks.
By late Sunday morning, the rushing water had risen to within three feet of the deck of the bridge between Lambertville, N.J., and New Hope, Pa., raising concerns that the structure could be damaged or washed out. By early evening however, the water level began to drop, and local officials said they believed that the worst danger had passed.
"We're feeling pretty confident that we are going to be O.K.," said Lambertville's police director, Bruce Cocuzza.
Despite the warnings issued late Saturday, some residents were still surprised by the flooding Sunday because the heaviest rains fell in communities far from the river.
Sue Holzmer, of Titusville, N.J., said she was just beginning her honeymoon in Cape May when she got a call Sunday morning that helicopters were over her house and the river was flooding. She returned home to find two feet of water in the basement.
"It never ceases to amaze me, the power of this river," Ms. Holzmer said.
In many communities along the river, the Delaware was watched more in awe than in fear. With Sunday's mild temperatures and brilliant sunshine, families walked to watch ducks and geese paddling down flooded streets or marvel at the rushing river, which carried fallen trees, barrels and overturned boats.
At Washington Crossing State Park, hundreds of sightseers were snapping pictures of the rising river as it raced under the Washington Crossing Bridge. Just north of the state park, most of the homeowners in the Titusville area were keeping close watch of the rising tide and waiting it out.
"I don't think it's going to hit the deck," said one resident, Jim Trainor, sticking a tape measure into the river and noting about 10 inches of leeway between the river and his deck patio. "If necessary, I could be out of here in 10 seconds."
............................
Yes. The New York Times - not The Times Herald Record.
Question:
Is the NYC DEP negligent for property / casuality damages from this flood in the New York, Pennsylvania and New Jersey communites south of their reservoirs at Downsville, NY and Stilesville, NY since the NYC DEP had more than 20% of water in reserve [source
RBC] for mid September and also knowing that more rain was coming from the remnants of Hurricane Ivan along with the ground being waterlogged from 15 inches of rain from mid July through mid September. With all of these facts before them - why were they were reluctant to release water from the bottom of their reservoirs during July and August which would have resulted no spillage over the top of both Pepacton and Cannonsville and less damage?TR
www.delawareriverfishing.com
Articles:
http://www.nytimes.com/2004/09/19/nyregion/19weather.html
Hurricane Ivan's Last Gasp Leaves New York Region Soaked
By ALAN FEUER
Published: September 19, 2004
The remnants of Hurricane Ivan sloshed into New York City and environs yesterday, shutting down large patches of the city's subway system, causing New Jersey to declare a state of emergency in four counties and threatening to flood rivers as far north as Sullivan County, N.Y.
Hundreds of weekend riders were inconvenienced as service on several Manhattan subway lines was suspended for a few hours yesterday morning.
The 1, 2 and 3 lines were shut down from Times Square to 96th Street because of flooding from 9:40 a.m. to about noon, said Paul J. Fleuranges, a New York City Transit spokesman. The 4, 5 and 6 lines from Grand Central Terminal to 125th Street were also closed from roughly 9 a.m. to noon, Mr. Fleuranges said.
Mr. Fleuranges said that the F train from Jay Street in Brooklyn to 34th Street was temporarily shut down because of burning insulation on some track equipment at the West Fourth Street station.
One frustrated commuter, having suffered through suspension of the F train, bellowed in the subway car, "This service stinks!" When the F was then suddenly shifted to the tracks of the A train, he buried his head in his hands and groaned.
By 10 a.m. yesterday, 2.25 inches of rain had fallen in New York City, said Geoff Cornish, a meteorologist at Pennsylvania State University. The heaviest rainfall was between 8 and 9 a.m., he said, when 1.15 inches was recorded in Central Park.
The downpour was caused by the tail end of Ivan's warm moist air pushing northeast from the Southern states and colliding with a cold front that was already hovering in the region, Mr. Cornish said. He said that the cold front would most likely bring chilly winds today that could gust up to 20 or 30 miles per hour in New York.
"It will really feel like autumn," he said.
One of the hardest hit areas in the region was Sullivan County, about 90 miles north of New York City, which declared a state of emergency yesterday morning. One town in the county, Long Eddy, had 5.34 inches of rain by 8:20 a.m., Mr. Cornish said.
Daniel Hogue, the Sullivan County sheriff, said he had closed all roads in the county except to emergency vehicles. "We don't want any joy riders out there," he said.
Sheriff Hogue said that the authorities had evacuated hundreds of people from flooded areas in the towns of Highland, Callicoon and Lumberland. Some evacuations also took place in the townships of Roscoe and Livingston Manor, Sheriff Hogue said.
County officials were concerned that the Delaware River might overflow its banks. Sheriff Hogue said it was likely that, by this morning, the river could rise as much as 10 feet over flood stage.
In New Jersey, Gov. James E. McGreevy declared a state of emergency in Warren, Hunterdon, Sussex and Mercer Counties, The Associated Press reported. Officials in Warren Country were trying to evacuate about 2,000 residents in several communities along the Delaware River.
Joe Orlando, a spokesman for the New Jersey Turnpike Authority, said two highway ramps in or near Newark - 14A and 15E - were temporarily shut down by flooding.
In Connecticut, where nearly three inches of rain fell in parts of the state, a boater died after his 31-foot trimarin capsized in Long Island Sound near Niantic Bay in six-foot seas and winds of 50 knots, The A.P. reported.
In Manhattan, at the West Fourth Street subway station, Kate Greenthal and Leah Brunski, both 23, were desperately trying to get to the Bronx for the big game between the Yankees and the Boston Red Sox. They had started out on the 4 train on the East Side, but when they found that it was shut down they walked west to take the B or D lines.
"When we got here, it was no dice again," Ms. Greenthal said.
In the Bronx, the rain caused a brick retaining wall about 30 feet high by 100 feet long to collapse, sending tons of soil and asphalt slamming into the rear of two attached six-story apartment buildings at 2770 and 2780 Kingsbridge Terrace, according to a spokeswoman for the Department of Buildings, Jennifer Givner. No one was injured at the buildings, though all of the apartments were evacuated, she said.
Ann Farmer, Winnie Hu and Howard O. Stier contributed reporting for this article.
http://www.nytimes.com/2004/09/20/nyregion/20flooding.html
Thousands Evacuated as Delaware River Floods
By DAVID KOCIENIEWSKI
Published: September 20, 2004
TRENTON, Sept. 19 - _Thousands of people were forced to flee their homes along the Delaware River on Sunday, after heavy rains Saturday from the remnants of Hurricane Ivan caused the river to swell to its highest level in decades.
The river spilled over its banks along an 80-mile stretch from Easton, Pa., as far south as Trenton, forcing the authorities to close several bridges, shut down flooded roadways and evacuate homes. There were no deaths or serious injuries reported, but one house in Phillipsburg, N.J., was uprooted by the waters and carried downriver several hundreds yards before hitting a bridge.
Although the waters were expected to crest by 10 p.m. Sunday, a flood warning was to remain in effect until at least Monday morning, said Sgt. Kevin Rehmann, a spokesman for the New Jersey state police.
In Trenton, where the waters reached nearly 25 feet above flood level, about 1,000 people left their homes, stretches of Route 29 were submerged and state workers filled sandbags to protect office buildings near the river. About 75 people spent Saturday night or part of Sunday at an emergency shelter in the Joseph Stokes Memorial School, including about a dozen residents from the Water's Edge home for the elderly in South Trenton, which was evacuated Saturday afternoon.
Mercer County's sheriff, Kevin Larkin, said that some residents may not be able to return to their homes until Tuesday.
"We're just telling them, we are going to protect your residences and if you can just put up with a little discomfort for a couple of days, we'll get you back to normal," the sheriff said.
Across the river, in Bucks County, Pa., more than 1,600 people were evacuated, according to Ann Machesic, a county spokeswoman. Some of the most severe flooding occurred in Yardley, where sections of the town's tiny downtown were closed and some homes and businesses near the river were reportedly knee-deep in water.
The flooding came a day after torrential rain pounded sections of Pennsylvania, New Jersey and upstate New York, leaving five inches of rain in some communities. On Saturday, Gov. James E. McGreevey of New Jersey declared a state of emergency for Mercer, Hunterdon, Sussex and Warren Counties, and by early Sunday, emergency service officials were beginning to evacuate some neighborhoods near the river's edge.
Joseph Quick, 76, said he was resting in his room at the River's Edge home on Saturday when teams of emergency workers and staff members led him and other residents out of the building.
"I'd like to go back," said Mr. Quick, as he pushed his walker in the emergency shelter. "They pulled me out of my bed."
A meteorologist from the National Weather Service, Joe Miketta, said the flooding was more severe than it was during the last major flood on the Delaware, in 1996. Saturday's rains were caused by the remains of Hurricane Ivan, which killed 70 people in the Caribbean and another 43 along the Gulf Coast of the United States. In some parts of New Jersey, the rain fell at one and a half inches per hour, Mr. Miketta said, and when the runoff reached the Delaware, the sheer volume of water caused the river to spill over its banks.
By late Sunday morning, the rushing water had risen to within three feet of the deck of the bridge between Lambertville, N.J., and New Hope, Pa., raising concerns that the structure could be damaged or washed out. By early evening however, the water level began to drop, and local officials said they believed that the worst danger had passed.
"We're feeling pretty confident that we are going to be O.K.," said Lambertville's police director, Bruce Cocuzza.
Despite the warnings issued late Saturday, some residents were still surprised by the flooding Sunday because the heaviest rains fell in communities far from the river.
Sue Holzmer, of Titusville, N.J., said she was just beginning her honeymoon in Cape May when she got a call Sunday morning that helicopters were over her house and the river was flooding. She returned home to find two feet of water in the basement.
"It never ceases to amaze me, the power of this river," Ms. Holzmer said.
In many communities along the river, the Delaware was watched more in awe than in fear. With Sunday's mild temperatures and brilliant sunshine, families walked to watch ducks and geese paddling down flooded streets or marvel at the rushing river, which carried fallen trees, barrels and overturned boats.
At Washington Crossing State Park, hundreds of sightseers were snapping pictures of the rising river as it raced under the Washington Crossing Bridge. Just north of the state park, most of the homeowners in the Titusville area were keeping close watch of the rising tide and waiting it out.
"I don't think it's going to hit the deck," said one resident, Jim Trainor, sticking a tape measure into the river and noting about 10 inches of leeway between the river and his deck patio. "If necessary, I could be out of here in 10 seconds."
............................
