Howard Beach comes together to battle the moon and rising tides
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The streets and homes in Old Howard Beach and Hamilton Beach in Queens flood as much as twice a month during full and new moons, when tides get higher than normal. Residents have crafted ways to stay dry, in lieu of any major government action. Photo courtesy of Amaury Piantini
By Maksuda Aziz
An eerie moon often serves as a harbinger of horror in fictional tales, but for residents of Old Howard Beach and Hamilton Beach, the threat of the moon’s phases is all too real.
During full and new moons, when tides get higher than normal, water from the basins that surround the neighborhoods overflow into the streets and the homes of the residential area in South Queens. Over the years, the flooding, which now can arrive on residents’ doorsteps at least twice a month, has gone from an occasional inconvenience to a recurring nightmare, lasting days and upending daily life in the waterfront communities on the shores of Jamaica Bay.
"We've always had this fear of flooding, but after Superstorm Sandy, it's become a regular occurrence," Felicia Castaldo, 31, a lifelong resident of the area, said.
According to residents of the neighboring areas in Howard Beach, government action to address climate change in the frontline communities has come slow. Instead, they’ve decided to turn toward one another, and have formed a network of flood watchers and responders designed to protect themselves and their neighbors. But while their vigilance has staved off major disasters in recent years, they worry it may not be enough to keep the flooding, which has only gotten more and more frequent, at bay.
Nestled in a corner of New York City, where Queens meets Jamaica Bay, Old Howard Beach and Hamilton Beach occupy a unique geographical position. William J. Howard, a Brooklyn glove manufacturer, established the neighboring communities in 1897 on meadowlands close to the Aqueduct Racetrack, which had been opened three years earlier.
The creeks that lead into the bay used to be useful for transportation to Manhattan, but now, especially on full and new moons, they channel water into the streets during high tides. Storms, strong winds, high rainfall, and natural events like supermoons all increase the threat of floods.
Following Sandy, the city's Department of City Planning launched a place-based planning initiative to develop tailored solutions with multiple lines of defense against coastal flooding. It recommended creating breakwaters and wetlands to reduce wave force, as well as seawalls and bulkheads to prevent floodwaters from spreading inland. However, very little work on the recommendations has been completed.
In addition to the place-based planning initiative, the DCP launched an effort to rezone much of the flood-prone neighborhoods in 2020. After being approved by the city, home and business owners are now able to use flood insurance to help pay for flood-resistant infrastructure projects. To meet the new zoning requirement, residents have elevated their houses or, if that is not possible, sealed entrances in a way that prevents water from getting in and causing further damage.
Residents in Howard Beach have elevated their homes in an effort to prevent damage from frequent flooding in the neighborhood. Photo by Maksuda Aziz
The fixes have only given temporary relief.
According to a 2016 report, Hamilton Beach has been classified as a Special Flood Hazard Area since 2007 – the designation means that the area has a 1 percent or higher chance of flooding in any given year. Following Sandy, Old Howard Beach was also classified as such.
However, residents say that 1 percent chance has become a given. Flooding now occurs at least two dozen times per year, with each flooding event lasting around four days following the moon’s cycle. It’s become a permanent source of suffering, residents say.
Finding ways to stay safe
Without any quick fix from the city, state, or federal government, residents in the area have devised a number of informal systems to deal with the flooding.
Many Old Howard Beach and Hamilton Beach residents now prominently display lunar calendars in their homes as a reminder to stay vigilant.
Around two years ago, someone in the neighborhood left their apartment door slightly open. As a result, the building’s boiler room filled up with tidewater, forcing the entire building to be evacuated for two days.
"Making mistakes these days is not an option,” said Jean Marie, a school teacher who lives near the Howard Beach subway station.
Flooding along 159th Drive in Old Howard Beach. Photo courtesy of Jean Marie
Others turn to social media to inform their neighbors in the tightly-knit community about what sort of flooding may be lurking just around the corner.
Roger Gendron and his wife, Holly Dreiss Gendron, founded a Facebook group called “Hamilton Beach/Howard Beach High Tide Pictures” in 2018 so that residents could post photos of “high tides with times and locations to alert neighbors to the water," Gendron said.
As the lunar event gets closer, the Gendrons prepare themselves.
They begin by collecting meteorological data. Roger provides information, and residents help each other to decode it. For example, if the forecast says the water in Jamaica Bay has risen around 6 feet, it might not cause the flood to rise more than 6 inches, so there is no need to rush to move the car. However, if the water level rises 7 feet or higher, the water may be a foot deep, so residents should act quickly.
If the water in the bay is 8 feet or higher, it is an emergency. Residents say that when the water reaches such heights, they stock up on food at home and make sure that their car is parked on an elevated street.
Even with all the preparation, residents are sometimes caught off guard.
“The forecast is never certain,” said Castaldo. “Sometimes the amount of water rises dangerously due to rain, storms, or high wind, which is not mentioned in the forecast.”
“We constantly find ways to stay safe," she added.
On the eve of a new moon this month, residents of 159 and 160th Streets had already parked their cars from 102nd Street to the Rambersvill Hawtree Memorial Bridge, where the roads are much higher than the water level. Abandoned, rusty sedans are still parked on the less-elevated Rambersvill Broadway, a reminder of what may happen if someone doesn’t move their car.
“It is still not very safe,” said Jean Marie, whose car was once stolen after parking it on an elevated street in a relatively empty area.
“I made an arrangement with my neighbors – we not only keep one another informed about the flood, but we also keep our eyes on one another's belongings in case they are in danger,” she added.
The collaborative effort may have made flood adaptation more bearable, but residents’ lives still revolve around the tide.
Efforts made by residents to stay on top of flooding events has mostly prevented any large scale damage from taking place. But residents say they’re still waiting for a permanent solution that doesn’t send them scrambling into preparation mode every two weeks.
“Our neighborhood is in a waiting game while projects that would protect the most vulnerable portion of my community are nowhere in sight,” Roger Gendron said. “The ongoing need for comprehensive resilience measures to safeguard the entire Howard Beach community is our biggest concern.”
