By Katherine Abayev, Staff Writer
A disaster struck Stony Brook, Long Island, When extreme flooding destroyed a part of Harbor Road. The structure acted as a bridge and dam for Mill Pond, a frequent spot for nature fans in the community. When the flooding occurred, parts of the bridge were quickly destroyed and the pond ended up bleeding into the sound, leaving it empty. Six homes nearby were evacuated and only one home was partially damaged. The community is deeply hurt by this tragedy, mourning the loss of the pond that was once home to many ducks, fishes, turtles, and other wildlife. Meanwhile, the community is working to repair the bridge along with other damage. Junior environmental science major from Adelphi University, Danielle Arabova, spoke about the tragedy from an environmentalist standpoint.
“Destruction like this is something Long Island is going to have to prepare for. As climate change gets worse, more water in the Atlantic gets evaporated, causing larger storms with more amounts of water than ever seen before,” she said. “As the Earth gets warmer, this will become our reality with extreme flooding and rain happening more and more during hurricane season.”
While this is a major threat to the environment, there is still time for repair if communities unite and urge governments to work towards fixing climate change.
Unfortunately, this is not the first natural disaster to happen in the Stony Brook area. In nearby areas, roads have been destroyed, basements flooded, and cars submerged. Even Stony Brook University (SBU) had to deal with a flooding issue on campus. 150 SBU students were evacuated due to flooding during this storm. The university had to postpone move-in for the fall semester by a couple of days.
A Long Island resident who would like to stay anonymous shared their opinion on the event.
“The government is not funding and allocating resources for Long Island and New York City to fix and prepare infrastructure for potential disasters.” they voiced. “It is tragic that our environment could potentially be ruined by factors like climate change and pollution. It makes me depressed to take a look at this, I am distraught for the community that lost so much.”
These sentiments are shared with many other New Yorkers who are concerned that local governments are not proactive towards important societal issues and are hoping that moments like this will draw attention to what needs focus.
This catastrophe is not the first Long Island has had to deal with, but it is reminiscent of hurricanes Irene and Sandy which left their impression on the island over a decade ago, leaving marks that still have not been forgotten. Initiatives promoting a clean environment need to take place before Long Island has to reap the consequences of the community’s actions.
Be First to Comment