State Of Emergency In Mount Vernon After Torrential Rains, Floods

MOUNT VERNON, NY — Mount Vernon Mayor Shawyn Patterson-Howard has declared a state of emergency in response to widespread flooding and property damage, following torrential rains Thursday night.

The mayor said that the rainfall in a single hour last night topped 4.5 inches and some areas may have seen 5 inches or more, in a statement announcing the emergency declaration. She said earlier that residents had to be rescued from cars and basements during the peak of the flash flooding emergency.

Patterson-Howard said she hoped that the state would follow suit and declare a state of emergency for the parts of southern Westchester County affected. Pelham and Yonkers also reported flooding during the storm.

The mayor said that the city's aging sewer system simply could not keep up with the massive amount of rain in such a short period of time.

“This is really a failure of our regional storm water drainage system which gets overwhelmed when we have torrential rains like this," Patterson-Howard said. "We're seeing weather-related incidents happen more often and it is definitely a challenge. We are asking that you exercise patience and caution."

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The mayor said city officials are reaching out to the county, state and FEMA for assistance. She asked residents to document any damage to their homes with photographs and video if possible.

Patterson-Howard said any residents displaced by flooding should notify the Mount Vernon Office of Emergency Management at oem@cmvny.com and call the Red Cross at 877-733-2767 for assistance.