Areas of Town Devastated, Still in Shock

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By Albert Huang & Beth Barhydt

It seems everyone has a story from the night of September 1, 2021, when Ida arrived dumping 8 inches of rain within hours.

Most stories include flooded basements or small streams and ponds appearing in their yards.

A sink hole on Dearfield Drive has now been repaired. Photo by Kimberly Gibbs.

Some, like on Dearfield Drive, include a sink hole under the road which made the front page of the Sentinel last week.

On Sunday, Stephanie Dunn Ashley, CEO for the American Red Cross Metro NY North Chapter, and a resident of Cos Cob, had been with the teams, going door to door and speaking with neighbors. She had just returned from giving out flood cleanup kits and surveying damage in the Pemberwick section of Greenwich.

The stories she heard and the damage she saw left her visibly shaken.

“It’s really heartbreaking to speak with families that have emptied the contents of their home on to their front yards. The families are worried and unsure what to do, and this is where the Red Cross can help,” she said.

Residents ranged from angry to grateful. Some were still in shock. Overall neighborhoods are coming together to help one another.

“Usually we get an automated emergency call,” said Stephanie Belmonte, who barely escaped her first floor apartment with her 1 year old daughter and 5 year old son. “There was nothing from anybody. It is a good thing we weren’t sleeping.”

Piles of toys and school supplies belonging to a 1 and 5-year-old, now ruined and piled in the yard.

She was grateful though that no one in her family was hurt. Things can be replaced she said, “but it is still a devastating loss. My son, who is five, doesn’t really understand the fact that this kind of stuff happens. He just knows that he lost everything.”

Stephanie lost all her furniture, her high chair, her cribs, her children’s toys, everything – now in a pile in her front yard. She wanted to get it out of the house quickly to avoid the spread of mold but says she cannot completely get it into a dumpster yet because the insurance company is insisting on seeing it upon inspection. “With insurance, there is a lot of being left on hold.”

She did manage to save her son and daughter’s beta fish, Sparkles and Pikachu before the water engulfed everything else – it took about 20 minutes before the water was overhead.

“There has been a lot of crying,” she said. “We all need to take turns when someone needs to step away from the kids so they don’t see it.”

The water line rose up to the first floor of Suzanne’s home, completely submerging the basement.

Nearly a week after the storm hit, another woman, Suzanne, was still pumping muddy water out of her home.

One resident, Matt Slater, who had moved in just a few months earlier, was in remarkably high spirits. Although his entire basement was nearly submerged and two workers from landscaping companies peeled off drywall, collected insulation, and ripped out carpet that was ruined by all of the flooding, he remained optimistic.

“Everybody’s been great. The neighbors have been great,” he said. His neighbor across the street, whose slightly higher elevation spared them from damage, have been grilling burgers and hotdogs every night and feeding the others who suffered damage.

“They have a little wagon too. They were bringing down drinks and stuff for everybody,” said Slater.

He is waiting now for an electrician to come and make repairs. Although he has power, the electrician told him to “turn everything off that he does not need.” Slater says he was told, “Don’t mess around or everything could blow but I think we’ll be alright. There is no water in the panels, thank God.”

Renee Wallace from the Department of Public Works (DPW) said, “this was a unique event that brought eight inches of rain in nine hours. Over four inches of rain fell in just one hour, which caused significant flash flooding.”

She went on to explain that in preparation for the storm, the DPW ensured storm water structures were clear and free of debris, so that the storm water structures could best handle the increased water flow prior, during and after the storm. Also, that DPW staff began working at 10pm the night of the storm and crews have been out this week cleaning up. However, due to saturated conditions from this storm, residents should remain extra cautious.

Wallace said neighbors helping neighbors in Greenwich is the best way to help. “We have found that Greenwich residents support each other and work together during these trying times. We ask for the public to be both patient with each other and crews working at areas in town impacted by flooding.”

The Red Cross is helping support Greenwich families across Pemberwick, Cos Cob and other Greenwich areas. These areas have received visits since Friday from volunteers with the American Red Cross, offering cleaning supplies and support.

“We start with offering a clean up kit with supplies and then connect families with our trained and caring health and emotional support volunteers. Sometimes having someone to just listen to them changes their outlook for the day, and we have received many kind words of thanks and gratitude,” Dunn Ashley added.

Volunteers set off on daily routes in town, both delivering supplies and gathering information as part of their damage assessment process.

To help people affected by these emergencies, visit redcross.org, call 1-800-RED CROSS, or text the word RED CROSS to 90999 to make a donation. Residents can also make a significant impact as a Red Cross volunteer.

Margaret Tjimos Goldberg, Executive Director of Neighbor to Neighbor (N2N) urges residents who need assistance with food or personal care items to reach out. She said, “Anyone in need of food assistance or personal care items should reach out to Neighbor. We are here to help!”

Call or email N2N at (203) 622-9208 ext. 11; email: mtgoldberg@ntngreenwich.org.

Goldberg wants people to know that if they lost their transportation, N2N partner, TAG, is making deliveries throughout town.

Flood Damage from Ida, Sept. 1, 2021

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