Rain Keeps Falling; Roads, Parkways Flood (Updated)

Rain, rain and more rain is what is predicted for our area through tonight. Continuous precipitation has already prompted the Village of Mamaroneck to declare an emergency and recommended evacuation of its low-lying areas, and to set up a shelter for those who cannot remain in their homes.

The Town of Mamaroneck and the Village of Larchmont are experiencing some road and basement floodings, but the situation appears to be under control there. Lanes and exit ramps on neighboring parkways have also been blocked.

"The Village and the lower Westchester area has had over five inches of rain since Sunday," said Village of Mamaroneck Manager Rich Slingerland. As a result, several roads have closed.

Barricades have been placed at the intersection of Baldwin Place and Fenimore Road, Waverly and Plaza avenues and Waverly and Fenimore. There's also street flooding on Madison, Washington, Center and Hoyt avenues. In addition, the Mamaroneck River Dam behind the Westchester Joint Water Works is currently overtopped, above the wood, said Slingerland. "That river has been rising about a foot an hour."

In the Town of Mamaroneck, there's minor flooding on Fenimore Road and Griffin Avenue, but roads are still passable, reported Town of Mamaroneck Administrator Steve Altieri earlier today. And while the Sheldrake River is running very high, it seems to be staying within its banks. "We are going to monitor the situation throughout the day and hope for the best," he said.

A primary shelter at the Veteran's of Foreign Wars building at 1288 W Boston Post Rd. has been set up to assist flood victims and will stay open for as long as people need it, Altieri said.

Larchmont has not suffered as badly as it has in the past, said Mayor-elect Josh Mandell. There are some floodings in basements in the Pine Brook area, near Kilmer Road, with a small portion of that area being closed, he said. But because the wind is not as intense, there haven't been utilities issues, which was a big issue during the last storm.

Out on the parkways, there are several closures due to flooding: the exit ramp at Exit 18A - Fenimore Road -  on I-95 in Mamaroneck is closed, but no lanes are blocked; all four lanes are blocked on the Hutchinson River Parkway in Pelham between the Cross Couny Parkway and Exit 7 - US 1 (Boston Post Road); and four lanes are blocked in both directions on the Bronx River Parkway in Yonkers and a civilian has been rescued from a vehicle that had water up to the roof line.

To see a full incident and congestion report for all of Westchester County, click here.

We got 2 to 2.5 inches of rain yesterday, according to Altieri, and the prediction is that we'll get another 2 to 2.5 today. "Four to 5 inches of rain in two days is a lot, but generally sustainable, he said." During the 2007 flood, this area received 9 inches of rain in 13 hours, said Altieri. "We couldn't hold that water back." The current situation will depend on the intensity of the rain between now and the end of the day.

The Town has been monitoring the Sheldrake Reservoir since Sunday, and the water has been rising rapidly, officials said. Water is currently less than one foot above the top of the dam, said Slingerland. "There was about five feet of capacity at around 9 a.m."

The forecast for the area, according to the National Weather Service, is a chance of precipitation of 100 percent, with rain being heavy at times, and a north wind between 24 and 28 mph. New rainfall amounts could be between a half and three quarters of an inch. For tonight, rain or drizzle is likely, mainly before midnight, and new rainfall amounts could reach between a tenth and a quarter of an inch.

In case of emergency, call 911.  The Village of Mamaroneck Police Department non-emergency number is 914-777-1122.