Flooding! Disaster! The Torpor of 311! No Idea What To Do!

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handyrenny

in Other 11 years and 3 months ago

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bkthorp | 11 years and 3 months ago

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Hello, all: My partner and I own a brownstone in Bed-Stuy. On Monday, January 6th, we we were awakened at 7:30 a.m. by a neighbor asking us to check our basement. His own basement was flooded, and he expected it was spillover from one of the homes bordering his. Sure enough, our basement was flooded. But so was the basement two houses down. And so were basements up and down the block. I called 311, and they sent out a crew of DEP people. They took a look at a bunch of flooded basements and left. Two days later, no word on what they found. We got our basement pumped this morning, and water’s still gushing through the walls. The city’s been silent. I’ve talked and charmed and barked my way through a bunch of bureaucracy at 311 and the DEP, and I’ve heard nothing. Still, the water gushes. From a main line, maybe; from a subterranean feed to a fire hydrant. I don’t know. Until the water stops, I can’t really dry my basement, and I can’t replace the heaters and hot water units that have been destroyed. So my garden apartment is without heat (there are no tenants, thank goodness), and my whole house is without hot water. I’d like to think I’ll have some hot water tomorrow, but I almost certainly won’t — not unless the city does something quick, and I can schedule another pump, and the delivery of some hot water heaters. I’m thoroughly stumped and very distressed. Has anybody been through this before? Does anybody have suggestions?

Guest User | 11 years and 3 months ago

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Sounds like a nightmare. So sorry. Have you called your homeowners insurance company. It’s in their best interest to get the problem solved so the claim you make with them isn’t astronomical. Maybe they have an inside track to the DEP. I’d also call your councilperson and have all your neighbors do the same. You all need to collectively scream loudly. Try reaching out to the TV stations to see if they’ll pick up your cause — you know the man/woman who tries to help residents with problems that are going unanswered. Know a lawyer? See if they have any suggestions.

timber | 11 years and 3 months ago

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Contact your city councilperson ASAP

jockdeboeraia | 11 years and 3 months ago

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This how DEP works. You are lucky they even showed up and looked.

ventilated | 11 years and 3 months ago

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Consider a visit to your local firehouse to ask for advice/intervention. There’s definitely potential for injury when mixing water and electrical outlets. Also, consider a call to DOB’s excavation number, to inquire whether any utility or contractor has been digging nearby: http://www.nyc.gov/html/dob/html/safety/excavation.shtml

bkthorp | 11 years and 3 months ago

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Thanks very much, all. After another couple calls to 311, they sent out another crew to jackhammer the street at 1 a.m. Dunno what they did out there. The crew also turned off the water in a vacant building a few doors down. I don’t know what the DEP discovered — according to the web, the issue still needs more investigating — but it seems they’ve fixed it. Now we’re in the process of figuring out how to get our basement back together. Thanks again for your time, – BKT