Storm preparations are under way in the area as highway crews polish up their chain saws, fuel up their trucks, fill sandbags and brace themselves for what weather forecasters are calling a Frankenstorm of scary proportions.
Tuckahoe Mayor Steven A. Ecklond said the village is in “good shape” with crews clearing out catch basins so rainwater can drain more effectively and tying down or stowing potentile projectiles like flags and trash cans.
Work on Yonkers Avenue has been suspected and concrete barriers shifted to hold back a surge of water along the Bronx River.
James Gizzo, general foreman of Tuckahoe Department of Public Works, said his crews was making sand bags and had water pumps ready in case village residents need them to clear their homes.
“We’re kind of used to it because we have a low-lying area where we get flooded out pretty good,” he said.
Town of Eastchester Highway Superintendent Hector DiLeo said his crews have barricades and chain saws ready if trees come down.
“My biggest fear is the wind. The wind knocks down branches and wires and then there is no electricity. That’s the biggest headache,” he said. “We close the streets until Con Edison gets here.”
He is urging residents to avoid errands even as brief as a trip to the store for milk.
“It would be helpful for people to stay home. Our main concern is to keep the streets clear for emergency vehicles,” he said.
His crew spent the day clearing leaves from catch basins and he hopes homeowners won’t rake or blow them back into the streets where they can clog drains and cause flooding. “It’s leaf season. We do what we can, but there’s not much we can do about it,” he said.
While the crews are busy, he isn’t panicking. “We’re just getting ready for the worst and hoping for the best,” he said.
