Sunday, August 28, 2011

Hurricane Irene UPDATE: Gowanus Canal Ready To Overflow In Some Spots

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From the Carroll Street Bridge. Gowanus Canal rising over its banks
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View of Union Street bridge and Gowanus Housing in the background
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Union Street bridge with rising water
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Carroll Street Bridge and view of the site were Toll Brothers wanted to build luxury housing
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Luxury housing anyone? Where Toll Brothers envisioned condo buildings
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And human waste floating on the water's surface, overflow from NY City's sewer pipes.
8AM this Sunday morning at high tide on the Gowanus Canal during Hurricane Irene.
As I mentioned on Friday, the waterway overflows its banks on a regular basis during heavy storms, but of course, during the heavy rainfall which accompanies a hurricane like Irene, the area is even more susceptible.
The Gowanus area lies in an A flood zone and has been evacuated. (Strangely, it has been reported that residents of the Gowanus Housing Towers had not been informed that they should leave)
Of course, the major problem with the waters of the Gowanus overflowing their banks is that the combined sewer overflow (CSO) is dumped into the Gowanus Canal every time New York City's sewer system is overloaded after a flash flood. Secondly, the waters of the canal are heavily polluted with rather dangerous contaminants from decades of industrial use.
And this is the area where Mayor Bloomberg, City Planning Commissioner Amanda Burden and developers like Toll Brothers envision luxury high rises....in a flood zone.
If you live in the Gowanus area and have experienced flooding, please feel free to send me your photos. I will gladly post them to illustrate the problem.
***These photos were taken by my crazy, wonderful husband Glenn, who ventured out in the storm. Thanks, Glenn

5 comments:

Gatemouth said...

Gowanus Houses is in Zone B

Gatemouth said...

Gowanus Houses is in Zone B

Katia said...

Thanks for the clarification, Gatemouth. The question was posed to Mayor Blomberg at a oress conference last night.

Anonymous said...

Thanks for highlighting this.

The pictures understate the span of contamination of the Brooklyn neighborhoods, don't forget we had 65+mph winds blowing that stuff around, in addition to the water over-flowing its banks.

The vehicles, roads and buildings are now contaminated. I would not want kids outside anywhere near that canal.

vince said...

have you seen hipsters walking/biking thru the filth? i don't get these people...