Now, they’re dealing with a new problem—water pouring out of a manhole.
It started less than 24 hours after NYC DEP crews said they stopped the ongoing flood from the hydrant, which was just steps away from the manhole.
People who live in the area say it’s causing them problems when walking around the area, because it has created pools of slush and mud.
They say they’re worried that the cold temperatures will turn the flooding waters into ice on the streets and sidewalks, creating a major safety hazard.
Louis Ramos, who owns a building impacted by the floods, said he called 311 about the manhole and did see someone from the city assessing the problem.
However, hours later the water is still running, and no further action has been taken yet.
“We have damaged boilers,” said Ramos. “Damaged water heaters. We had 4 feet of water. Mud all over the place, and we haven’t had a response from the city. We don’t know what to do.”
He’s asking city officials to restore the sidewalk damaged in front of his building and to offer some guidance on the next steps for his tenants.
“Right now, I have tenants that are staying with family because they have no heat,” said Ramos. “I'm changing water heaters so that at least they can have hot water.”
News 12 reached out to NYC DEP for answers on when the manhole issue will be fixed but has not yet heard back.