Red Cross assisting residents left with no power, water days after devastating water main break

Thursday, December 19, 2024
3 buildings in Bedford Park still without power, heat and water after main break
Josh Einiger has the latest details on the aftermath of the devasting water main break in the Bronx.

BEDFORD PARK, The Bronx (WABC) -- What started with a break in a water main that was built in 1890, led to a flood of water in sections of the Bronx deeper than most swimming pools.

Three days later, many of the folks of Bedford Park still have no power, no water and have a long way to go to get back to normal.

In the muddy mess that is Webster Avenue, the Red Cross handed out food and blankets to desperate tenants after three days with no water or power after a water main break flooded the streets.

"Anything is better than nothing. You know what I'm saying anything is better than nothing. Thank you Red Cross!"

The tsunami of misery rushed in Monday thanks to a burst water main so old it was installed when Benjamin Harrison was president.

134 years later, it took just minutes for a raging river to overwhelm this neighborhood in the Bronx where in building basements the damage was catastrophic.

"Up to the ceiling, to the stud. You feel the water dripping, I feel the water dripping on my head," Tyler Stagg said.

Stagg manages three apartment buildings on the block and showed the damage is anything but an easy fix.

"Oh I couldn't even sleep last night just thinking about the people cold and not having the hot shower it keeps me up at night personally," Stagg said.

It was a breathtaking amount of water in the basement of the apartment building. The power meters were fully submerged so they're all going to have to be obviously replaced.

The gas meter room, all Con Ed gas meters, are also fried. But before they come and replace all the equipment all the wiring has to dry out. And that could take days.

"I don't even want to think about people not having heat and hot water and electric for Christmas that would be devastating," Stagg said.

The Red Cross is housing around four dozen people, including 19 children.

Many are still in their homes, their food rotting in warm fridges and their apartments cold and dark.

"Very depressing very depressing I feel like it's a nightmare and I wanna wake up, that's it, and we in NYC there's supposed to be more help here and we're not getting it," one resident said.

"And that's the worst part the holidays are here. It doesn't get no better, oh boy oh boy I tell you when it rains it storms," resident David Garcia said.

The residents are waterlogged and weary, with no end in sight.


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