Extreme weather brought three thunderstorms, a heatwave and flooding during one crazy week in The Bronx which also saw a van disappear down a sinkhole in Morris Park.

 

As reported, each of the three thunderstorms that hit The Bronx on July 18, July 21, and July 25, brought wind gusts of 60 mph and flooding.

 

The worst flooding was on July 18, amid a reported two and half inches of rainfall, with some minor traffic chaos observed as seen in the attached  video and photos.

 

Norwood News photographer, Miriam Quiñones captured a lightning rod seemingly striking Tracey Towers, as seen further below.

 

We asked the City’s emergency services if there were any accidents or rescues in the Northwest Bronx. None were confirmed.

 

We did pick up some information from the police radio, including a power outage that was allegedly reported at Blair Avenue and Throggs Neck Expressway by the fire department.

 

FDNY officials were reportedly at the scene and seemingly reported primary wires being down in the area on July 21 at 3.43 p.m.

 

There was also an apparent report of a sailboat in distress on the East River and Throggs Neck Bridge with a Queens fire department unit at the scene reporting that the sailboat was on The Bronx side of the river and that several civilian boats were assisting the impacted sailboat on July 21 at 2.53 p.m.

 

The same day, there was a report of a manhole explosion at 198 East 161st Street, just east of the Concourse section of the borough. Fire department units at the scene apparently reported explosions at two manholes and heavy smoke at 1.53 p.m.

 

Video has captured the moment a van fell into sinkhole in New York. https://t.co/cXxMaQTxOy pic.twitter.com/V143u1zACO

— CNN International (@cnni) July 20, 2022

 

At 1.51 p.m., also on July 21, there were apparent reports of a tree falling on a car at 1040 Rosedale Avenue in Soundview, in the 43rd Precinct, with police department officials on the scene. The occupants of the vehicle were reportedly able to self-evacuate.

 

Norwood News is attempting to corroborate the details of each of these incidents with the emergency services for accuracy. However, we’ve been informed for several months now that there is a backlog of inquiries and that only breaking news items are being addressed by phone when we follow up on email inquiries.

 

We will update this story upon receipt of any further clarification or updates.

A section of the walkway in Williamsbridge Oval was flooded on Monday evening, July 18, but the skateboard park, which became  waterlogged during Storm Elsa and a safety hazard for small children, was empty.

 

Meanwhile, as mentioned, video footage of an apparent [empty] vehicle falling into a sink hole in Morris Park was widely shared on social media on July 20, as above. A second car was also seen teetering over the crater with one back wheel dangling in the air.

 

According to a report by CNN, Edward Timbers from the NYC Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) said the vehicle was removed by emergency services the next day and the owner got right inside, started it up and drove off!

 

Timbers added that it would likely take several weeks to fill in the hole.

 

The water-logged roads quickly dried up after the first storm, and New Yorkers were later subjected to sweltering temperatures hovering around 100 degrees for much of the week.

 

Mayor Eric Adams spoke on the status of the heatwave on Sunday afternoon, July 24, amid a heat advisory which remained in effect until 8 p.m. that day. “It appears as though, through the media and through other notifications, people are taking the notice seriously,” he said. “We only had one heat-related death – was reported thus far, but we opened the cooling systems.”

 

The mayor added, “And so, I believe people are really responding. This place here [a Harlem hospital where Adams made an announcement regarding new funding for mental health services from an anonymous donor, as reported] is cool here, but there’s a lot of cooling centers that are available. And so, we’re not seeing a medical crisis because of the heat.”

 

Two Uber drivers who spoke to Norwood News said business was sort of slow on the hottest days, and that Bronxites generally appeared to be following the advice of officials and staying indoors.

 

Meanwhile, FDNY is reminding residents that sprinkler caps for fire hydrants are available for free from local firehouses. However, as previously reported, opening a fire hydrant at full force is illegal and creates a fire hazard in the event of a fire.

 

“Fire hydrant spray caps are a fun way to #BeatTheHeat but please don’t open the hydrant yourself. Request a spray cap by visiting your local firehouse,” a FDNY official said. “You must be 18 years of age, show photo ID + fill out a short form.”

 

Darwin Portillo, 3, pictured further below, fell into the latter category and seemed to be full of joy as he cooled down at a fire hydrant fitted with a sprinkler cap on East 205^th Street in Bedford Park, along with his older cousin, German, on Saturday, July 23.

 

Norwood News has witnessed several fire hydrants open, some at full force and others using an apparent authorized sprinkler, throughout the Northwest Bronx in recent weeks.

 

One open fire hydrant located between 380 and 398 E 201st Street near Webster Avenue in Norwood had completely flooded the intersection as seen in this video.

 

 

FDNY officials say there is also a danger that kids may drown in flooded areas.

 

 

Meanwhile, in London, UK, the country saw record temperatures of over 104 degrees F, as climate experts warn that such extreme weather across the globe is just another indicator of global warming.

 

On July 25, Assembly Member Nathalia Fernandez (A.D. 80), who is running to represent The Bronx and Westchester in the State senate district 34, following the decision by State Sen. Alessandra Biaggi to run for Congress in NY-17, released a plan “to increase funding for climate resiliency, minimize pollution from the Cross-Bronx Expressway, mitigate flooding on City Island, and modernize energy and transportation infrastructure.”

As reported, the City has issued tips on how to keep cool this summer, and as a reminder, as reported, free meals for eligible students continue to be available at many of the City’s public swimming pools and other venues.

 

As part of a recent Inquiring Photographer feature, we asked readers for their thoughts on where would be a good location for an additional public swimming pool in the Bedford Park or Norwood districts. You can check out their answers here.