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Fair Flooding damages homes in Long Beach, Lido Beach
Residents contend with floods a day after record rainfall
“Everything is destroyed,” said Washington Boulevard resident Cliff Steinberg on Monday afternoon, as he paused to assess the damage to his fixed basement, debris and damaged furniture lining the curb of his street. Gone were his wife’s collection of historic vinyl records, left to her by her grandfather, and his downstairs office was completely damaged.
Overall, Steinberg, who has lived in this home for more than 40 years, estimated that the damage caused by Sunday’s torrential downpour — which left 3-feet of water in his basement — will cost him upwards of $10,000.
“The only frustration I have is that there is no insurance — I thought I was covered,” he said. “I’m talking to a lot of people around town and hearing the same thing.”
Steinberg was just one of the many residents in Long Beach, Lido Beach and other nearby towns — not to mention much of Nassau County — who were faced with the aftermath of a flash-flood that dropped roughly 10-inches of rain on the city on Sunday.
The storm produced heavy rainfall and flooded local streets in Long Beach and nearby communities such as Lido Beach and East Atlantic Beach, as the weather service reported a 90 percent chance of precipitation throughout the day and into the evening. The downpour flooded local streets — National Boulevard was literally underwater — as well as homes and basements, leaving many residents without hot water, and made driving along local streets treacherous.
“Cabs would only go to destinations between Lido and Hempstead Park to the Atlantic Beach Bridge,” Peter Thoung said. “No off island service.”
Service on the Long Island Rail Road was suspended in both directions on the Long Beach and Far Rockaway branches on Sunday due to flooding and weather-related signal problems, but was restored by Monday morning.
According to the New York State Department of Transportation, flooding also forced the closure of the Meadowbrook State Parkway, the Southern State and the Wantagh State parkways. Locally, the Loop Parkway and portions of Lido Boulevard were closed for most of the day due to flooding.
