On Monday, April 27, the Westchester County Board approved funds to support a federal study to evaluate alternative solutions to reduce the impact of flooding in Mamaroneck Village and the surrounding areas.
The county will partner with the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation to participate in a 30-month flood study of the Mamaroneck and Sheldrake Rivers Basin that the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers will conduct.
The estimated cost of the flood damage reduction study is nearly $7 million. Thanks to the support of Congresswoman Nita Lowey, the federal government will pay for 75% of the cost of the study. The county and state will share the remaining 25%. County Legislator Judy Myers (D-WF, Larchmont) said the county funds the board approved on Monday night were critical to launching the study.
“I am very pleased to announce the board’s decision to fund this study, which was contingent on the county partnering with New York State to provide 25% of the total cost,” said Ms. Myers. “Finding solutions to the flooding that has occurred at the Sheldrake-Mamaroneck Rivers Basin is absolutely critical to the future of Mamaroneck Village.”
Ms. Myers is a member of the county’s Flood Action Task Force formed in 2007 to address the flooding crisis in the county and to put in place a flood mitigation program using $50 million in county funds designated for this purpose.
The Mamaroneck and Sheldrake Rivers watershed encompasses major portions of the Town/Village of Harrison, City of White Plains, Town of Mamaroneck, and Villages of Mamaroneck and Scarsdale.
Betsy DeSoye is director of communications for the Westchester County Board of Legislators
I certainly hope that the report will include the fact that the Premium river flows underneath behind my house and will be included in the study. The land from Pinebrook avenue floods the whole area when there is a storm.We had to replace our whole basement two years ago when the area flooded twice in two months. We lost both cars in our garage and had a great deal of emotional upheaval as the basement was filled with my son’s and mom’s things since their deaths.
I hope Larchmont is included in this study. We should not be stepchildren in this study.
Flood damage and water damage is very costly, I am glad there are programs to help the community.