Hurricane Ida, which hit New York just last week, caused serious flooding in the subway again, and also allowed New Yorkers to play the spirit of “entertainment to death” again – even if the home leaks and the toilet “plops” out of the water , but they still insist on dancing wildly in the rain, rowing boats in the water, and posting short TikTok videos.
People who were in a hurry to go home after being blocked by heavy rain last week may not have imagined that such a group of people are putting themselves in danger because of staying at home – all furniture and property are ruined; Drainage, just to keep their small home; even if you fight all night without sleep, you have to go to work on foot the next day when there is no subway pass…
These tens of thousands live in the basements of New York, deep into the city, as low as the dust. They do different jobs in the big city of New York – some may have, some can only work quietly; living alone in a small space with their family or sharing a small space with lonely strangers, even taking turns to sleep… …
There is also one thing in common: there is no sunlight at home, and even because of the heavy rain brought by a hurricane, they never have the opportunity to walk back and go outside to feel the sun the next day. Hurricane Ida turned the “basement” directly into a “death pool”, and 11 people were drowned in the basement home, including 5 Chinese.
Around 10 p.m. last Wednesday, Mingma Sherpa, a Nepalese immigrant who lives in a basement apartment in Woodside, Queens, called a neighbor on the third floor of the apartment for help: “Water came in through the window and kept going. Go in!” The neighbor shouted anxiously, “Come up to the third floor!”
However, the speed of the flood water pouring into the basement was too late to react, and almost instantly submerged their ankles, knees, waist, chest, neck, top of their heads…
Neighbors tried to help but couldn’t because of the terrifying rapids, and police tried to sneak in and open the door without equipment, but all failed. Finally, after the water level receded for four hours, everyone opened the door of the basement, but they saw the bodies of a family of three – Mingma Sherpa and his wife and their 2-year-old son.
Darlene Lee, 48, lives in the basement of a co-op in Queens. The night the rainstorm hit, floodwaters burst through a glass sliding door in the apartment, and the huge current swept away Darlene Lee, who was stuck between the steel front door and the door frame of the room, unable to move. The apartment property manager heard her cry for help, and the people around came to help one after another. Although everyone tried to pull her out, they still failed… Darlene Lee was unfortunately killed in the end.
There is also a basement of a family across from Kissena Park in Flushing, where three Chinese lived. Unfortunately, they were drowned by the floodwaters, and their bodies were not found until noon the next day.
It is reported that this basement room is very deep from the ground, with at least 10 steps, and the windows are also below ground level.
The deadly flood blocked the only escape route. After the flood reached a certain height, the water pressure was too high and the door was blocked, making it difficult to open the door with bare hands. If the person living in the basement does not take the time to realize the danger and flee to the heights, the probability of survival is very small.
It has long been an open secret that New York’s basement is a haven for the poor. Homeowners wall off basement spaces for illegal rentals – cramped entrances, no windows, no fresh air, damp walls, sleeping with rats…
Best of all, there are no regulated emergency exits! In situations such as floods and fires, escape becomes a big problem. This is simply the real version of “Parasite”!
Going back in time, in addition to the basement, in the 1980s and 1990s, New York also had a group of Mole Man (Mole Man) living in the subway and train tunnels!
What is a “mole man”? British journalist Jennifer Toth, in her 1993 book Mole Man: Underground Life in New York City, referred to the residents living in Manhattan’s underground pipeline network as “Mole Man” ( the mole people).
Even, American Marvel has created the super villain Mole Man – this is definitely Marvel’s “advanced black” to New York City! At the end of the last century, New York City’s intricate underground subway lines and train tunnels on the road provided thousands of people with a rent-free “home”.
According to rumors, this underground community is well-organized, and despite the poor environment, it still has the exquisiteness of “home” – mattresses, desks, wardrobes, induction cookers, heaters and other furniture and appliances.
This group includes runaways, peculiar fetishes, drug addicts… stray cats and dogs are also adopted, and even newborns are born. But it’s also rife with death — from a drug overdose, being hit by a subway, fighting and killing people… This group of people lives in the hustle and bustle, with vague identities and isolation. It wasn’t until the 1980s that New York City authorities carried out a targeted sweep that destroyed it.
A spokesperson for the housing advocacy group said: “These basement dwellers are the most vulnerable and vulnerable New Yorkers…and they have no way of paying for any other option…”
On September 3, New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio said: New York needs to create a basement population database. According to incomplete statistics, there are currently more than 50,000 basements illegally rented out in New York City, accommodating far more than 100,000 tenants.
