Pine Brook Floods in 1954: Village Engineer Proposes a Plan

by Ned Benton

(July 28, 2004) Within the Village of Larchmont, ground-zero for residential flooding is Pine Brook Drive north of the Boston Post Road. On Wednesday July 27,

Wednesday Juy 27, 2004: Pine Brook Drive floods into adjacent yards and basements.

heavy rains again flooded areas of Pine Brook Drive. Last month, the force of the flooding water popped off the heavy iron storm sewer grate and washed it down the street. Recognizing the dangers, Village Trustee Mike Wiener cautioned Larchmonters: "Don't wade in the flood waters!"

100-year floods every month?

This kind of summer makes Larchmonters think that we suffer from so-called "100-year" floods every month. A careful reading of our history suggests that flooding has in fact been a consistent problem, occasioning complaints, protests, lawsuits, and persistent official efforts to remedy or at least mitigate the more serious situations.

According to Trustee Wiener, the latest efforts are awaiting new valves at Beechmont Lake in New Rochelle. The valves, which have not worked for years, would allow lake levels to be kept low enough to absorb spikes caused from sudden downpours, rather than sending excess water flooding into Pine Brook. In the meantime, floods continue.

1942: Patience is being washed away!

After three floods during a 2-week period in 1942, the Larchmont Times caught the spirit in an Editorial that closed with a ringing call to action: "It is clear that the time has now arrived when patience is being washed away by the angry waters and when many who have been patient are becoming irate. They cannot be blamed. It is one thing to be knocked down now and then but none of us relish a knock-down quite so frequently as we have been having it handed to us. Our officials owe it to our taxpayers, property owners and residents in general to drop everything else if necessary and concentrate on some plan that will bring some measure of relief."

Planning legal action against the Town of Mamaroneck, Village of Larchmont and the City of New Rochelle, 150 residents formed the "Larchmont-Mamaroneck Flood Protection Association". They also wanted property tax reductions. One participant exclaimed: “If we are just poor white trash, living in shacks on a river bottom, let us pay our taxes accordingly.” (Read the 1942 news article about the meeting.)

A FEMA Flood Plain Map shows a zone including Pine Brook Drive & Lorenzen Park

1954: The Village Engineer's Study

In 1954, after another series of floods and in particular the flood occasioned by Hurricane Carol, the Village Board asked the Village Engineer, Frank Griffin, to analyze the situation and propose a solution. (Read Griffin's Report.)

Two causes of flooding: He identified two causes of the flooding. Some basements in the area, according to Mr. Griffin, have elevations of 3 to 4 feet above mean high tide. Tidal floods would reach more than 7 feet above mean high tide, so that, even without rainfall, some flooding would take place as the water levels equalize. If there is heavy rain, storm waters flowing down the nearby drain from storm drains in the three municipalities would build up and eventually flood adjacent basements and streets. In the 1940s, several projects were proposed to enlarge the drains, but these were never implemented.

September 2002: Storm water overflows the Pine Brook Drive storm drain.

Local and express pipes: Mr. Griffin's solution was somewhat like the New York subways. An "express" drain would serve the upland areas, but would be sealed off in the flood-prone areas of Pine Brook Drive. As the pipe filled, the water would back up and eventually the force of the backed up water would cause the pipe to empty into Premium Creek. A "local" drain would serve the flood-prone areas of Pine Brook Drive, and a pump would be necessary to lift the locally accumulating water to empty into Premium Creek.

Board decides against the plan

Mr. Griffin was not sure that his plan would work and suggested that futher technical study was needed. However, he recommended that the Pine Brook Drainage Commission be reactivated to pay some of the costs. In April 1955, Board minutes reveal that the board concluded the plan would not be effective, and no further action was taken.