Environment

In the Wake of Storm Ida, FEMA Warns Flood Victims to Beware of Fraud & Scams

By SÍLE MOLONEY  
Officials from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) have warned that after a disaster, scam artists, identity thieves and other criminals often attempt to take advantage of disaster survivors. Federal and state emergency management officials are urging New York residents to watch for and report any suspicious activity.   When a disaster strikes, unscrupulous people may try to take advantage of survivors by posing as official disaster-aid workers or even as relatives trying to help survivors complete their applications, officials warned.   They said common post-disaster fraud practices include the following: Fake Offers of State or Federal Aid Federal and


Read More

FEMA & State Officials Issue Tips on How to Speed Up Disaster Assistance

By SÍLE MOLONEY  
State officials, as well as those from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), who are helping New Yorkers recover from the remnants of Hurricane Ida have shared some tips on how to speed up receipt of disaster aid, as follows: Registering online is the fastest way to access FEMA assistance. Download the FEMA app or visit disasterassistance.gov. Not only can you register here, you can check the status of your claim, upload requested documents, and access FEMA downloadable pamphlets and other aids. You can also register by telephone calling 800-621-3362. Individuals who have a speech disability or hearing loss and use


Read More

Bronxites Pick up the Pieces & Seek Relief in the Wake of Storm Ida

By DAVID GREENE & SÍLE MOLONEY
  The relative and literal “calm before the storm” on the afternoon and early evening of Wednesday, Sept. 1, perhaps lured many Bronxites into a fall sense of security that then-impending Storm Ida would not be as extreme as forecast. The consequences of such nonchalance proved to be devastating.   Between noon and 6 p.m., the day was overcast, humidity was at 82 percent, temperatures ranged from 68 to 72 degrees F, southwesterly winds were traveling at 11.8 mph but there was no rain. At 6.18 p.m., the National Weather Service (NWS) tweeted that tornado warnings had been issued for


Read More

UPDATE For Police Officers and Community, the Battle Continues Over Loud Music

By DAVID GREENE
  Many Bronxites across the borough are patiently waiting for the cold weather to arrive so that those prone to carousing outside, blasting loud music from speakers, while in the parks or in cars, will gradually move indoors, and badly affected neighborhoods will return to the once peaceful communities they used to be.   For years, despite hundreds of noise complaints sent to 311 by Bronxites across the borough, meetings with elected officials, and enforcement by NYPD officers, the goal of eliminating unwanted noise, particularly over the summer months, has remained elusive. Now, however, a new law, along with new technology,


Read More

UPDATE Out & About: Bobby Sanabria & Quarteto Aché, End of Summer BBQ, Oktoberfest, Brew at the Zoo & More!

By SÍLE MOLONEY
                                                                                      Editor’s Pick  In 2001, Bronx Documentary Center founder and photojournalist Michael Kamber planned the non-profit from his post in Kabul, Afghanistan. The Center’s inaugural exhibition, in October of 2011, featured work from Afghanistan by the late photographer Tim Hetherington.   10 years later, URGENCY! Afghanistan, a photographic “exhibition in progress” at the Bronx Documentary Center is showing the


Read More

UPDATE Neighborhood Notes on 9/11 Commemoration, Back-to-School Events, Help with Flooding & More

  9/11 Memorial Events Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr. and the Supreme Court of Bronx County is hosting a 9/11 memorial service on Monday, 13th Sept. at noon, at Lou Gehrig Plaza. See attached flyer for more information.   Partnerships for Parks announced that on Saturday, October 16th, nearly 1,000 volunteers will gather in parks across the city for Fall IMP-act Day, the group’s annual citywide park beautification day.   For the 20th anniversary of 9/11, volunteers will begin planting 70,000 daffodil bulbs which will bloom in the spring of 2022, honoring the lives lost to the terrorist attacks through the Daffodil


Read More

Bronx Service Center for Relief / Resources Post Storm Ida Moving to New Location

By SÍLE MOLONEY
NYC Emergency Management and the NYC Department of Social Services announced on Thursday, Sept. 9, that service centers in the Bronx, Brooklyn, and Queens that were opened to support individuals and families affected by the flash flood emergency caused by Storm IDA on Sept. 1, will change locations beginning Friday, Sept. 10.  As previously reported, the centers are each day from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m., and provide those affected with in-person support and information on resources and services available. New York City government agencies, nonprofit organizations, and community-based organizations will be on-site to help connect families and individuals to critical


Read More

Hochul Announces $24 Million to Reduce Carbon Emissions in NYCHA Housing

By SÍLE MOLONEY
New York Gov. Kathy Hochul announced last week a $24 million pilot program aimed at reducing carbon emissions and improving the overall energy performance of affordable housing developments in New York City. Participating agencies include the New York City Department of Housing Preservation and Development (HPD) and the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA), as reported by YIMBY.   The pilot program is expected to support upgrades in approximately 1,200 living units of affordable housing and benefit 3,000 low-to-moderate income residents and government officials have said that funding amounts will vary on a project-by-project basis determined by


Read More

Pending Arrival of Tropical Storm Ida Tail End, Travel Advisory in effect Sept. 1 to Sept. 2

By SÍLE MOLONEY
New York City Emergency Management (EMS) is issuing a travel advisory for Wednesday morning into Thursday morning. According to the National Weather Service, remnants of Tropical Storm Ida will track near the region Wednesday afternoon into Thursday, bringing a period of heavy rain and potential flash flooding to the region, the bulk of which will occur overnight.   The National Weather Service has issued a Flash Flood Watch for New York City from 8 a.m. Wednesday, September 1, until Thursday, September 2, at 2 p.m. A total of 5 to 6 inches of rain is expected, with higher amounts of


Read More