Dire hurricane season predictions have residents in city communities like Woodside, Queens fearing the worst
NEW YORK -- With the damage caused by the remnants of Ida fresh on their minds, some New York City residents are bracing for another active hurricane season.
Ivette Mayo still has PTSD from last year's season. Ida not only ruined her Woodside, Queens home, but it sent her to the hospital with an e-coli infection from trying to save sewage-soaked photos.
"We made some amendments to the house. We took out the garage door, put in cinderblock wall," Mayo said.
News of yet another above-average hurricane season this year is alarming her and others in low-lying areas, who saw subways become waterfalls, families drown in basements, and apartments and businesses destroyed.
Forecasters warn of 14-21 named storms this upcoming season in the Atlantic Ocean, with three to six having the potential of becoming a major hurricane.
"There's nothing you can do. Move to where?" Woodside resident Hank Grindlinger said.
At a news conference with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration on Tuesday, Mayor Eric Adams urged New Yorkers to check which of six evacuation zones they live in.
"Knowing your zone can have you prepared when information is put out, and every new Yorker should know their zone," Adams said.
Preparation is important. But families argue the only real protection against more active hurricane seasons is fixing the city's archaic draining systems.
"It's like filling the bathtub up and you have it blocked and it has no way to go down so it overflows. That's the system here," resident Julia Nieves said.
Last September, immediately following Ida, a still mayoral candidate Adams vowed to improve the city's resilience.
Families are still waiting on progress.