Queens residents ask city for help with recurring flooding problems

Residents across Queens say their homes are repeatedly getting flooded out when storms hit, and Thursday night was no different.

They say they've been asking the city for help.

Overwhelmed sewers in Woodside

On Friday, the cleanup began yet again on 48th Avenue between 67th and 66th streets in Woodside.

"It's disgusting. It's sewer water, and nobody wants to help," Maryann Maragioglio said.

Back in July, floodwaters destroyed Maragioglio's floors, appliances and other parts of the home she's lived in for more than 60 years. She says they used to experience flooding about once a decade, but she's been sounding the alarm since Hurricane Ida flooded her home in 2021 and another smaller storm ruined her garage in 2022.

Two of her neighbors say they also experience constant flooding. One said he even constructed a small brick wall around the stairs leading to the basement in an effort to prevent floodwaters from getting inside.

"The vicinity of the BQE, the LIE and, if you notice, there's Laurel Hill, 69, everything goes up. To let cars go through, they divert the water, so all the water comes down here. These sewers can't hold it. They pop," Maragioglio said.

CBS News New York reached out to the New York City Department of Environmental Protection, which says in recent years, there's been a pattern of short, extremely intense downpours that are becoming increasingly common. New York City's sewer system is only designed to handle up to 1.5-1.75 inches of rain per hour.

The DEP released a statement that reads, in part, "The agency is advancing a multi‑layered approach to stormwater management — combining sewer upgrades with underground stormwater storage, rain gardens, and bluebelts that capture and hold rainwater before it enters the sewer system. These improvements will help reduce inland flooding and protect nearby homes and streets."

The DEP says crews have been responding to complaints across all five boroughs. 

"They keep saying it's an act of God. God didn't make the sewers, New York City made the sewers," Maragioglio said.

Rosedale residents say construction project made things worse

Over in Rosedale, a capital project along 147th Drive was supposed to solve constant flooding issues, but residents say it's made things worse.

"I've lived over here since 1969. We had the water in the street, yes. Never in my basement," resident Teresa Asaro said.

Neighbors say the city used eminent domain to claim parts of their property for a $52 million project to elevate streets. The project kicked off in 2024, and residents say it put their driveways on a slope, funneling water toward homes.

"You're trying to improve the community, according to you, but it's not improving. It's getting worse," resident Lorna Shaw-Irving said.

Residents say water gushed into basements and garages during Thursday's storms.

"I have mold coming now in my basement. This is outrageous," resident Linda Guillebeaux said.

They claim the city promised them storm drains, but instead built pits to nowhere. When they called for help, they say, they were given sandbags to try to block the water.

Shaw-Irving said the sandbags are "not working at all."

The city's Department of Design and Construction acknowledged the area has been flood-prone for decades. The agency said it shares the community's frustration and will address the condition, writing in part, "DDC has been in regular contact with the residents and will continue to update them on next steps."

"Quite frankly, they don't care about this community," resident Natoy Gayle said.

Now, they're dreading the next storm as they watch construction continue street by street.

"Now, we're all risking our homes we would have never purchased if this was the kind of planning," Gayle said.

"We're not going away. They're going to fix this, and they're going to fix it right like they would in other communities," Guillebeaux said.