Queens Residents Frustrated After Storm Fern Buries Cars
By MOHAMED FARGHALY
mfarghaly@queensledger.com
Local residents in Queens are struggling to dig out their vehicles and navigate streets blocked by mountains of snow after Winter Storm Fern blanketed New York City on Jan. 25, leaving neighborhoods buried under more than a foot of snow. The storm, the city’s heaviest in years, snarled transportation, shut down airports, and left cars stranded behind massive plow piles.
Whitestone reported 11.1 inches of accumulation, while Howard Beach saw 11 inches. John F. Kennedy International Airport recorded 10.3 inches and LaGuardia measured 9.7 inches, forcing temporary closures and widespread flight delays. City officials warned that heavy, wet snow posed risks for injuries, heart strain, and hazardous driving conditions.
Residents in Middle Village and Maspeth described frustration at streets that were either insufficiently plowed or blocked entirely by snow pushed from driveways and sidewalks.
“As someone who was born and raised in Queens, I have never been plowed in this much in my entire life,” said Christina Gonzalez of Middle Village. “I had to pay someone for the first time ever to come with a plow on their truck to plow me out of my spot because it was physically impossible for me to do.”
Mariangela Bentivegna, also from Middle Village, criticized the city’s response. “Many streets were barely plowed at all, and when plows did come through, they buried parked cars completely, making them inaccessible. This lack of coordination has left residents stranded and frustrated, and it deserves attention.”
Concerns extend beyond convenience. Donna Rini Demkowicz of Maspeth said snow had buried fire hydrants on her street, leaving residents anxious about emergency preparedness. “A few months back the house next to that caught on fire…so we are very afraid of this happening again. But no one seems to help or want to get involved,” she said.
Natalia, a Middle Village resident, described a unique challenge on her block, which borders a cemetery. “Every storm, we call the Dept. of Sanitation and request a left-facing plow and every storm we are given exactly that. Now all of a sudden this past storm…we were sent right-facing plows. There’s snow built up and barricaded everyone on the block. Their driveways and houses were walls of ice,” she said. After hours of shoveling alongside her brother, a bulldozer finally cleared the hydrant, but she said the situation could have been avoided with better planning.
Citywide, some residents acknowledged the difficulties of snow removal in a dense urban environment. “Where else can the snow be plowed to instead of blocking cars/driveways should be a question,” one resident noted, reflecting the challenges faced by both the city and its residents.
Despite frustrations, officials said plowing streets is essential for public safety. Residents must navigate the “damned if you do, damned if you don’t” reality of snow in New York City, as streets must be cleared even if cars are temporarily buried.
