Community Update

This is a heavy rain and flood risk advisory from the Village of Mamaroneck on Wednesday, June 12, 2013, at 6 p.m.

While this is not an emergency declaration, we are issuing this advance notice so residents and businesses in flood-prone areas may take precautions and begin preparations based on the latest weather information. We have concerns because the recent heavy rains we experienced of 3 inches of rain last week, and another inch and a half of rain over the past two days have saturated the ground and caused the rivers to run higher than normal. We do not expect definitely to experience flooding, but the thresholds are getting close and we want you all to prepared yourselves in case we do.

Generally:

The National Weather Service is predicting rainfall in our area between 2 and a half and 3 and a half inches between Thursday and Friday, and is locally higher amounts of up to 5 or even 6 inches. Accuweather is predicting heavy rainfall totaling over 3 inches of rain between Thursday and Friday. Winds are forecasted to be in the 20 to 30 mph range, with gusts to 40 to 50 mph.

The Village typically experiences inland river-based flooding when rains total more than four inches to four and a half inches of rain in 24 hours.

Based on the amounts of rainfall we have already experienced and the fact that the ground is somewhat saturated, the Village is issuing this advance notice for residents and businesses to take appropriate precautions tonight. Clear your roof drains, patio drains and storm drains, check your basements, make your houses and possessions secure, be prepared to move vehicles out of flood-prone areas, and take other similar steps in advance of the storm.

The Village is continuing our coordination with the Town of Mamaroneck to manage rainfall storage levels at the Larchmont Dam which reduces the likelihood of flooding on the Sheldrake River. At present, the Larchmont Dam spillway is open and continuing to drain. Thus far it has been drained down to establish seven feet of stormwater storage capacity. It will remain open tonight and continue draining until the storm starts on Thursday, with the goal of adding another foot or two of storage, to bring us up to eight or nine feet of stormwater storage.

Tides along the Mamaroneck coastal area are predicted to have a tide that is only an additional one to two feet above normal. Based on these predictions from the National Weather Service, Accuweather and Westchester Office of Emergency Management, we do not expect to experience tidal surge or coastal flooding in the Village of Mamaroneck.

If for any reason conditions unexpectedly change, you should be prepared to take actions to protect yourself and your family. If the Village receives different or updated information that predicts or shows we are experiencing more severe conditions, then on Thursday we will issue an update with further information and instructions.