After it rains, the intersection of Avenue O and West 4^th Street becomes swamped with standing water that has no place to go.

The reason? There are no catchbasins on the south side of the intersection, explains Assemblyman William Colton (D—Gravesend, Bensonhurst, Bath Beach and Dyker Heights), so the water, instead of draining away, just sits there.

“It’s a disgrace,” contends Assemblyman Colton. “People who live there have been dealing with this for years, and with climate change, rains are getting heavier and the ponding problem is getting worse. After a downpour, it’s hard to cross the street without wading through the deep puddles, which is a huge difficulty for senior citizens, as well as wheelchairs and baby carriages. And with West Nile Virus still around, the standing water is a potential breeding grounds for the mosquitoes that carry the disease. I’ve been asking the city to correct the problem for a long time, and the residents are still waiting, and getting more and more frustrated by the day.”

The city acknowledges the impacts of the changing climate, explaining, on a webpage hosted by the city’s Department of Environmental Protection, “In recent years, flooding due to heavy rain events has occurred more frequently and severely than in the past, affecting a broader range of communities than ever.”

Assemblyman Colton points out that the water spreads out from the corner, with the ponding continuing at least halfway down the block of Avenue O. In contrast, at corners that have catchbasins installed, the water drains away into the sewers. There are approximately 148,000 catchbasins in New York City.

“This situation is inconvenient, unsightly and potentially dangerous,” says Assemblyman Colton. “It needs to be corrected soon. The residents deserve no less.”