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SUFFOLK LIFE
Meeting Addresses Flooding
Problems
By Hank Russell, August 29, 2007
Approximately 500 residents from the towns of Smithtown, Islip and Brookhaven - as
well as elected town, county and state officials - packed into a conference
room at the Hyatt Wind Watch hotel in Islandia last week to address the
flooding problems in their neighborhoods. Some of the politicians in attendance
indicated they would help out in any way they could.
"The people were all energized," said . Fred
.Gorman; president of the NesconsetSachem Civic Association, whose
organization was one of those that sponsored the meeting. "People came up
complaining (about the flooding.")
Douglas Lee, president of the Lake Hills Ronkonkoma
Community Organization, officially introduced the website, www.wetwithautrelief.com.
where people can get updates about the flooding situation, share opinions and
form their own· civic organizations. He also discussed the situation in his
neighborhood.
"This is a widespread problem which affects hundreds of families
directly and thousands of families indirectly," Lee said. "Can you
imagine what would happen in a hurricane?"
Some of the flooding could be attributed to the
"large rain event" in October 2005, which was the beginning of the
deluge and "eight consecutive months of precipitation" last year,
according to Steven Terraciano, a hydrologist with the United States Geological
Survey's regional office in Coram. During the winter months, "we see less
sunshine, less evaporation and less plant growth." The lack of
evaporation. is caused by the water's freezing over "at the surface,"
while the water below the surface cannot penetrate the ice cover, Terraciano
said.
Another factor is that Ronkonkoma is in a low-lying
area. As a result, when it rains, "the water table rises," Terraciano
said. additionally, the streams are not discharging the water as they should,
which causes these problems."
While some residents said the flooding is the result of overdevelopment,
Gorman countered, "It's not overdevelopment that's causing it. But that's
not to say that development doesn't playa part." But Lee called the
building of structures such as hotels a form of "hitting Lotto" for
the local governments because of the "financial windfall" they would
have in their coffers.
Lee
demanded that government officials honor their contract "to provide for
the general" welfare of your citizens," saying the time to act is
now.
"Our
leaders may brag that they did not raise taxes, but we are still paying
more;" he said. "We are paying thousands for utilities to pump out
and dry our basement and thousands more to clean up or demolish the mess that
remains. We are paying with our health, We are paying with photos and letters
and heirlooms and time. We' are paying with pieces of our lives."
Gorman said members of the New York State Assembly who
represent the affected areas are working together. US Congressman Tim Bishop
(D-Coram) and US· Senator .Hillary Clinton (D-NY) sent letters of support to
the civic groups. Gorman added that Suffolk County Executive Steve Levy was
"aware of the problem. It's not just a Smithtown
problem." The Smithtown Town Board has offered to help, according to
Gorman. "I think the people who attended the meeting accomplisl1ed a
tremendous amount more than what they realized," Gorman said, "but
they have, a long way to go."
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