The Junior League of Pelham hosted a Zoom roundtable on Sept. 20 to discuss Tropical Storm Ida relief and necessary changes to anticipate and recover after future storms.

Ida’s impact on Pelham was far more severe than people anticipated as the storm approached. Twenty cars went missing or were destroyed, 14 houses contained more than 12 feet of water in them, and residents were forced to spend days cleaning out their damaged properties. The village fire departments pumped out hundreds of homes and businesses. Pelham Together, the Pelham Civic Association, the Junior League and the Chamber of Commerce joined together to help those affected by the storm. 

The bulk of the roundtable was question and answer with many residents speaking up on behalf of their own experiences with Ida and past storms in Pelham. The first question, from Pelham resident Tommy Geggel, was a simple inquiry: What would the village do in the future to prevent flooding, as his house was one of those in the path of the destructive deluge?

Village of Pelham Mayor Chance Mullen said the village plans on cleaning sewage basins to provide more effective water management as well as work with New Rochelle on managing Glenwood Lake, a major contributor to flooding during storms. 

• JLP disaster recovery resources factsheet (pdf)

Laura Caruso, executive director of Pelham Together, spoke on the need for better communication in Pelham, especially when disasters occur. She talked about how to get the most affected people connected and educated about what to do and how to handle the aftermath of a destructive event, as well as what to do to prevent further damage in the future.

Caruso said she strongly believes that “inclusion of the voices most affected is crucial.”

“Knowing our neighbors” and surroundings can help tremendously, she said.

Pelham resident Marissa Mora said that there should be a list of names at the Pelham Police and Fire departments of the most vulnerable people, such as the elderly, those who live in low-lying areas and people who don’t have the economic means to deal with the destruction.

Pelham Fire Chief Robert Benkwitt III said that the department will try to get a better sense of the different types of people involved in storms and storm damage so that it can better gage its priorities and figure out how to help. He said the department would attempt to get more people on staff to aid in storm readiness in the future, but that Ida came so fast that it was hard to anticipate how serious the impacts would be.

Benkwitt also mentioned the possibility of obtaining boats to navigate flooding in the future.

Stanley Trocchia, a Pelham Civics Association member, brought up the problem that the people most affected may be too embarrassed or ashamed to ask for help. He said he believes that although there are many volunteers ready to help, “they cannot give assistance if people don’t let them know they need assistance.”

Others on the Zoom roundtable included Village of Pelham Manor Mayor Jennifer Monachino Lapey, Pelham Chamber of Commerce President Christina Chianese and Michael Paradis, a certified financial advisor.