9 Inches of Rain, 4 Swift-Water Rescues, 750 Tons of Debris: Preliminary Ida Report from City Manager
A preliminary review of the Ida flood was presented by City Manager Greg Usry at the City Council Wednesday night. If you care about Rye, it is must see TV.
During Ida, there was almost 9” of total rainfall and nearly 4” of that rain came in a single hour. By comparison, the Henri storm a few weeks prior brought 6” total rainfall, but only .5” max rainfall in an hour.
The flooding is attributed to two primary reasons:
- Flooding resulting from the Blind Brook and Beaver Swamp Brook
(both volume and velocity) - Widespread flooding due to overwhelmed catch basins and stormwater
management systems (both City and individual residences)
Our first responders handled 500 emergency calls, including 30 evacuation rescues from homes and cars. Four individuals were rescued directly from swift-water.
The report covers rainfall, the water rise at the Bowman dam, city wide damage, city preparation and response and the recover ahead. Status on current flood and flood damage mitigation projects in provided. Over 750 tons of debris and 48 abandoned cars have been removed from our streets.
Read the report: City of Rye Ida Flood Review September 22, 2021
Watch the report overview (note the video starts at the 17:30 mark. Rewind if you want to hear Rye Mayor Josh Cohn and Westchester County Legislator Catherine Parker discuss flooding. City Manager Greg Usry review the report from 17:30 until 1:06):
