Homes and businesses along Quentin Road between West 10^th and West 12^th Streets were hard-hit during the recent Tropic Storm Ophelia, and Assemblyman William Colton (D—Gravesend, Bensonhurst, Bath Beach and Dyker Heights) says it’s likely that underlying problems in the sewers in the area were the culprit.

“Many areas had flooding because of clogged catchbasins,” said Assemblyman Colton, “but the problem these people have been contending with goes well beyond that. Days after the storm, water remained high in the catchbasins, clearly because something is clogging the adjacent sewers. The whole block smelled of sewage. This is a failure of the sewer system, and the city needs to find the cause of the problem and correct it quickly.”

According to Assemblyman Colton, a group of residents who live in the area came to him in the wake of the extreme flooding that caused tens of thousands of dollars in damage to their homes and asked for help in getting the problem solved.

“There has been flooding in the area even after less torrential rains over the past few years, but the city has done nothing,” Assemblyman Colton said.

“Thanks to this historic storm, virtually everyone in the area had basement flooding,” he continued. “Now, these residents are throwing out appliances, furniture and clothing that were damaged beyond repair.”

In addition, Assemblyman Colton – who visited the area to inspect the damage – says that businesses along the strip have opened their basement gates in hopes of drying out their drenched cellars.

The floods actually posed a danger to people living in the area. One senior citizen, Assemblyman Colton said, opened her front door and was knocked over by the rising waters. Another, he said, had to be rescued from her basement by her daughter.

Avenue O and West 4^th Street, where there are no catchbasins, also was flooded, Assemblyman Colton said. Assemblyman Colton had previously asked the city to correct the situation there, which results in ponding and standing water after heavy rainfall.

“The city needs to take a proactive approach to this issue, which is exacerbated by climate change,” Assemblyman Colton contended. “Even where conditions were not as extreme, the waters rose because of clogged catchbasins. Maybe the Department of Sanitation needs to send out teams of workers in advance of expected storms to clear catchbasins.”

Assemblyman Colton said his office wants to hear from constituents who had to deal with flooding in the wake of the recent storm. “We really don’t know yet how extensive the problem in,” he added, urging area residents to call his office at 718-236-1598 to report flooding issues.