UPDATED

Irene storms into town

IRENE

Posted

UPDATED at 2:41 p.m. on 8/28/11 

We're traversing the neighborhood looking for damage, to get updates on the mess caused by Hurricane Irene, including the Spuyten Duyvil mudslide click here.

Without sandbags, the Hudson River might have flowed right into the Riverdale Yacht Club.

An employee said water surged to about four or five feet above its normal depth around 9:30 a.m. Pictured below, the Hudson was still flowing onto land around 10:45 a.m.

You know there's a weather emergency when IHOP is closed on Sunday morning.

Hurricane Irene roared through the Riverdale/Kingsbridge area last night, leaving in her wake power outages, downed trees and businesses closed for the morning.

Trees litter the street alongside the Henry Hudson Parkway in Riverdale and in Ewen Park and the lights are mostly out on Broadway. Staples, Mobil, BP, IHOP, the Riverdale Diner and other businesses are closed.

According to a Con Edison map of power outages, folks are without electricity all over the Riverdale/Kingsbridge area. 802 customers are still without power at around 253rd Street, near Henry Hudson Parkway and Mosholu Avenue, due to down wires. 

"Con Ed reports to us that 2,807 customers are without power in the Riverdale area. Based on their map, the outages appear to be in South Riverdale and near Fieldston," said John DeSio, a spokesperson for Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr.

For the 369 Con Ed customers without power on Edsall Avenue near the Henry Hudson Parkway, in Sputen Duyvil, and the 243 customers with partial outages near Bailey Avenue and 231st Street, there is no estimate for when service will be returned for them.

Residents have been reporting to us on our Facebook page on conditions throughout the area. 

Mark Vogel said power on about half the block between 260th and 261st streets and Tyndall Avenue went out just after 11:30 p.m. He said only one street lamp is operational there. 

Kathleen Hughes said there is no power at Tyndall Avenue and 259th Street. Ben Ibisch said cable was no longer operational at 246th Street and Henry Hudson Parkway. 

UPDATED 11:45 p.m. on 8/27/11 

The bluster has begun and the rain is driving down in Riverdale. 

In a storm update around 10:30 p.m., Mayor Michael Bloomberg warned New Yorkers throughout the five boroughs to hunker down as the storm arrived in New York. 

According to the mayor's office, the latest forecast has the epicenter of the hurricane hitting east of the five boroughs. 

In his address, Mr. Bloomberg warned people who live high-rises, especially on the tenth floor or higher, to stay away from windows in case they break and for people with outdoor space to die down furniture and other items. In case of emergencies, he said to call 9-1-1 but said to call 3-1-1 to report power outages and other non-emergencies. 

He cited the wind and rain and the chances of a storm surge would only to increase. 

A tornado watch is also in effect for our area. A twister in July 2010 caused widespread damage in Riverdale. 

A hurricane warning, flood advisory and flood watch are also in effect in our area, according to then National Weather Service. 

Local evacuation centers are at Lehman College, 250 Bedford Park Boulevard West, and The David A. Stein Riverdale/Kingsbridge Academy, MS/HS 141, 660 W. 237th Street. 

Updated 7:12 

The National Weather Service expects hurricane conditions in the Bronx during the day tomorrow and tropical storm conditions tonight. Windspeeds are expected to reach as high as 65 miles per hour overnight and 85 miles per hour tomorrow. 

Riverdale/Kingsbridge supermarkets have been swarmed with customers all day, leaving many of the stores stripped of some of the most sought after hurricane supplies, click here for more coverage

Despite rain this afternoon, the soccer team Van Cortlandt United, pictured below, was out practicing at Vannie.



The photo below was e-mailed in by Kat Vecomnskie, a reader of The Riverdale Press. She called the pipes, which are unsecured and piled inside Sid Augarten Field, "future Irene projectiles."



President Barack Obama declared an emergency for the State of New York last night. The declaration means that federal aid will be given to supplement the state and local responses to Hurricane Irene. In addition, the Department of Homeland Security and the Federal Emergency Management Agency will coordinate disaster relief efforts. 

The declaration is specifically intended to address the threat of a catastrophe in the five boroughs and Long Island.

Hurricane Irene, Bronx, Riverdale, Marble Hill, Kingsbridge, Tyndall Avenue, Henry Hudson Parkway, North Riverdale

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