Gas pumps at the Sunoco station, located on 5914 Riverdale Avenue, and the Prime station, at Broadway and Mosholu Avenue, were completely dry as of Friday lunchtime.
However, the Gulf station on Riverdale Avenue, just north of West 263rd Street, was open and filling the near-empty tanks of hundreds of motorists.
Some drivers told us they had been waiting in line for over 40 minutes and that the queue even stretched for seven blocks--back to West 256th Street--at one point.
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| Northbound traffic on Riverdale Avenue was reduced to one lane on Friday afternoon as motorists queued for gas. This line stretched from West 259th Street to the city line, with some drivers reporting waits of around 40 minutes. |
By MIAWLING LAM
More than 3,000 local homes were left without power after
superstorm Sandy ripped through Riverdale and left a path of mass destruction.
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| These two trees, located at the corner of Fieldston Road and Waldo Avenue, brought down power lines in the area |
The unprecedented storm swept through the region last night, bruising Riverdale with its relentless near-hurricane-force wind gusts
and sporadic rain.
Dozens of trees were uprooted, widespread power outages were
reported, Internet and cable service was disrupted and several homes in
Fieldston were damaged.
As of noon Tuesday, Con Edison said 46,805 Bronx customers
were without power, including 3,489 in Riverdale. Citywide, more than 613,237
were left in the dark, including much of lower Manhattan.
Locally, early indications suggest the leafy enclave of
Fieldston bore the brunt of Sandy’s wrath. Half of its residents were left
without power and its usually pristine streets were littered with leaves,
branches and other debris while several roads were blocked by fallen trees.
On Waldo Avenue between West 246th and West 250th streets,
two trees fell onto the attic of a two-story house, while four blocks away on
Delafield Avenue, several trees toppled over and brought down utility wires.
Further south, Palisade Avenue was rendered impassable after
a tree came crashing down in front of 2521 Palisade Avenue. Another tree on
West 232nd Street between Independence and Palisade avenues was also upended
from its roots, blocking both lanes of traffic.
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| This tree on West 232nd Street blocked two-way traffic |
Despite the destruction, commanding officer of the 50th
Precinct Kevin Burke said there have been no reports of local fatalities or
injuries.
He said the five-oh operated at full capacity during the
storm and that around 150 officers—each working 12-hour shifts—answered the
deluge of 911 calls.
“Most of the emergencies were in regards to downed power
lines and trees falling onto cars,” he said.
“I think most people heeded the warnings and understood that
it was a once-in-a-lifetime storm.
“What we found out is that a large majority, if not
everyone, stayed indoors, which prevented the loss of life.”
Assemblyman Jeffrey Dinowitz said Riverdale fared remarkably
well compared to the rest of the city, thanks in part to the neighborhood’s
high elevation.
“I think that under the circumstances, we can consider
ourselves fortunate—we’re not flooded, and our homes didn’t burn down,” he
said, referring to the devastating blaze that destroyed more than 50 homes in
Breezy Point, Queens.
However, Dinowitz said residents in Fieldston suffered a
battering.
“In Fieldston, there wasn’t just a downed tree here or
there. You really had to know where you were going because there was blocked
street after blocked street,” he said.
In fact, Councilman G. Oliver Koppell likened the situation
outside his Fieldston
house to a war zone.
The elected official sought refuge in a Manhattan hotel on
Monday night because his house is surrounded by a slew of old trees. “My yard looks like a battleground. It really is amazing,”
he said on Tuesday.
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| This tree on West 250th Street in Fieldston came perilously close to hitting the private house on the left |
“A tremendous number of branches—probably around 50—came
down around my house, and it confirms that I was wise not to sleep here. We
were very worried because we have very large trees.”
Fieldston Property Owners Association president Stephen
Boatti said at least half of Fieldston descended into darkness after strong
winds toppled power lines. He estimated at least 12 trees were uprooted in the
area.
“We had a tornado two years ago and another hurricane last
year, but this is much worse as far as the number of trees and the damage,” he
said.
Boatti said private crews were methodically traversing each
block in Fieldston and clearing streets of debris.
As city agencies scramble to deal with the aftermath and
begin the massive cleanup, local community organizations are also doing their
part.
The Riverdale YM-YWHA opened its bathrooms and showers to
those without power on Tuesday night, while the Hebrew Institute of Riverdale
and Conservative Synagogue Adath Israel of Riverdale notified congregants of
changes in prayer service schedules due to safety concerns.
Meanwhile, the Riverdale Review understands just two people
checked into the city-run evacuation shelter at M.S./H.S. 141. However, sources
claim both individuals were homeless and not residents in the area.
