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Fallen Trees, Floods and Power Outages Remain in North Brooklyn

By Meredith Hoffman | October 30, 2012 11:49am | Updated on October 30, 2012 6:09pm

WILLIAMSBURG — Residents awoke after Hurricane Sandy's monstrous late-night gusts to fallen trees, flooding and spotty internet service Tuesday morning throughout Williamsburg, Greenpoint and Bushwick.

Giant trees were uprooted and toppled in McCarren Park and in Bushwick's Maria Hernandez Park, and a field light tower in McCarren was completely overturned and straddling the center of the park Tuesday.

The area's waterfront spaces on the East River and Newtown Creek were also hit hard Monday night, as residents said waves gushed through Greenpoint's streets and flooded the area by Northside Piers in Williamsburg.

In Greenpoint near Newtown Creek, residents remained without electricity and experienced flooding in their homes and businesses.

One local, Chris, who asked that his last name not be used, said his basement was filled with 6 feet of water.

"There hasn't been water this high in the neighborhood for over 30 years," said Chris, an engineer who lives on West and Green streets, of the Monday night surge.

And Michele Burns, who runs her catering company on Box Street and Manhattan Avenue right by the creek, lost seafood, frozen meat and other foods when her basement flooded with 2 feet of water, she said.

"I've never seen it this bad," Burns said, noting that she'd been in the spot for 16 years.

The water appeared to have subsided on the road by Tuesday morning, but the North Brooklyn Boat Club posted photos of significant damages to their new floating dock on Ash Street on their Facebook page. Laura Risi Hoffmann of the Newtown Creek Alliance also noted that Tuesday morning mulch was scattered all over the ground, and the group's director Kate Zidar posted updates on their Facebook page.

The condo construction on North Third Street by the East River remained flooded Tuesday, too.

On the riverside strip, neighbors were still awed by Sandy's strength.

"When I was out here in [Hurricane] Irene you could walk out there," Chris said. "You can't now." 

In Bushwick, many signs on stores had fallen, and paneling came off of stores along Knickerbocker Avenue.

Internet service, meanwhile, remained out in parts of Greenpoint and Williamsburg, but appeared restored to most of North Brooklyn, residents said.

The Williamsburg Bridge was also reopened to traffic after a Monday evening closure during the storm's peak, and most cafes and bodegas were open Tuesday serving an onslaught of customers.

But subway service was still suspended throughout North Brooklyn and the city. Mayor Michael Bloomberg said Tuesday afternoon that the transit system will likely be shut down for the remainder of the week.

Victoria Bekiempis and Heather Holland contributed reporting.