Highway workers pumping basements on Horton Avenue

VERA CHINESE PHOTO
Town workers pumped water out of Horton Avenue resident Ivory Brown’s basement Monday afternoon. Highway department crews pumped three basements Saturday on the block and three more Monday as a courtesy to devastated flood victims there.

Riverhead highway workers began pumping water out of basements on Horton Avenue over the weekend, almost two weeks after a four-day long storm caused major flooding in the area.
Town Highway Superintendent George “Gio” Woodson said crews pumped three basements Saturday and Sunday, and planned to drain about three more Monday afternoon.
It usually takes between a 1/2 hour and an hour to clear out a basement, depending on the size of the pump, he said.
Town building department staff will soon decide whether or not it is safe for those living in 13 evacuated homes to return, officials said. Aside from those homes, several others on Horton and Osborn avenues saw severe basement flooding.
Town workers could not access many of the affected homes until this weekend, Mr. Woodson said. “The water table is extremely high,” he explained, predicting it could take another week for ground water levels to return to normal.
Riverhead Town Supervisor Sean Walter last week promised Horton Avenue flood victims that the town would help them drain their basements as a courtesy.

VERA CHINESE