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WESTCHESTER COUNTY, N.Y. -- As heavy rain fell steadily along the Sound Shore on Tuesday, more than a dozen geese were enjoying the muddy waters along Oakland Avenue and Beaver Swamp Brook in Harrison.
Rye residents were not so happy a quarter-mile away, where excess water was beginning to flood onto yards and roadways along Park Avenue and near Coolidge Avenue.
Beaver Swamp Brook runs from Westchester Country Club through Rye and Harrison to the Long Island Sound in Mamaroneck. The brook's watershed spans nearly 2,000 acres.
Officials downstream in Mamaroneck were braced for flooding. Town Supervisor Nancy Seligson said Larchmont Reservoir was lowered in anticipation of this week's heavy rainfall.
"It seems to be coming down harder and faster" than meteorologists had forecast, Seligson said Tuesday afternoon.
The National Weather Service predicted rainfall accumulations are presently ranging between 1.5 inches to 2.5 inches of rain in the 48-hour time frame. Meanwhile, Accuweather is predicting total storm accumulations of under 2 inches for Mamaroneck. Steady winds are predicted between 10 mph and 20 mph, with gusts as high as 30 mph to 40 mph. Snowfall at night should be in the form of flurries, and cold temperatures could lead to icing, but no real snow accumulations are expected.There also is a coastal flood warning in effect.
Typically, the Village of Mamaroneck reports that rainfalls of 1.5 inches to 2.5 inches over a 48-hour time frame are not sufficient to cause flooding in flood-prone neighborhoods.
However, Mamaroneck Village Manager Richard Slingerland said due to the level that the ground is frozen based on recent cold temperatures, "this could lead to a higher amount of runoff that is typically absorbed into the ground by these rain storms."
"We do not anticipate flooding at this time, but we urge residents to be prepared,'' he said.
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