8 THE QUEENS COURIER • SEPTEMBER 9, 2021 FOR BREAKING NEWS VISIT WWW.QNS.COM
The piles mount. Children are confused by the mess.
Queens residents face the aftermath of Hurricane Ida
BY DEAN MOSES
editorial@qns.com
@QNS
Th e stretch of 88th Street leading
between Astoria Boulevard and 30th
Avenue showcased the full extent of life
following the worst fl ood many New
Yorkers have ever experienced.
Late into the evening on Th ursday, Sept.
2, emotionally and physically exhausted
Queens residents continued to toil away,
tossing thousands of dollars’ worth of
furniture to the curb. Mounting watersoaked
mattresses, broken-down closets
and even refrigerators outside of every
property, the block became a graveyard to
the life many had known for years.
Milton Rozario has lived on 88th Street
for two years now in happiness with his
family, until Hurricane Ida hit.
“What can you say?” Rozario said, the
sorrow etched on his face, adding, “We
have never experienced anything like this.
My sister called me while I was at work
but when I got here, there was not much
I could do. I was really worried about my
two kids but thank God they are OK.”
Rozario invited amNewYork Metro into
his home to see the devastation fi rsthand.
Family members stood with their heads
bowed as Rozario pointed to streaks of
mud left over the fl oors and walls by the
torrent. With their children’s beds unusable,
the family said they must fi nd somewhere
else to sleep.
“What can we do?” Rozario asked,
dejectedly.
Th at question rings true for many here.
Astrid Hernandez piled her belongings
that have essentially become nothing
more than soggy trash. She was at home
when the deluge burst through her doors
at 10:30pm, stating that she had no notice
or fl ash fl ood alerts until it was already
too late.
“We didn’t have a warning. We got the
alert of fl ash fl ood right when it was happening.
We just couldn’t do anything; it
was already happening,” Hernandez said,
hauling furniture with gloved hands.
“Th e water was up to my hips. I was
hoping it wouldn’t reach the breakers and
cause a fi re. It ruined everything. We have
to throw everything out. Hopefully we
can get help,” Hernandez said, explaining
that the kitchen, living room and basement
were gutted.
Ulices Lopez was forced to leave his
basement apartment behind and return to
his parents’ home while his landlord surveys
the damages in conjunction with his
insurance. Looking down at his ruined
belongings, he recounted the terror he
faced during the night.
“I was sleeping, and then I woke up to
water rising from the shower and toilet. I
called my landlord and few minutes later
he comes running down because water
was coming in from both sides of the
house — the backyard and the front yard.
I had very little time to get the belongings
that I could, just the most important
things,” Lopez said.
Lopez counts himself lucky to be alive,
and that while his bed and other furniture
now sit on the curb in shambles, he said at
least he has the option to stay in his parents’
home while he recovers.
“Water was rising fast; it was up to my
waist. I had no choice but to bring what I
could up to my landlord’s apartment and
leave the rest,” Lopez said, pointing at all
of his items.
Hurricane Ida
Photo by Dean Moses
The curbs outside of many homes have become a graveyard of belongings.
John Paul Hernandez, brother of Astrid
Hernandez, climbs a mountain of their
belongings.
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