Heavy rain, flash flood warnings once again threaten livelihoods of Bushwick businesses owners

Flash flood warnings across the city hit some neighborhoods harder than others. Over in Bushwick, News 12's Morgan Scott spoke with business owners who say for years, any sign of wet weather creates cause for concern. For the last 14 years, Joseph Marin has owned and operated this furniture store in Bushwick, a business he's not sure can survive much longer. I'm planning to go out of business because of this problem. Whatever kind of money I make, it is to fix the damages. A lot of those problems begin with the sewer system, dating back to the early 1900s, and no longer fit for the heavy rainfall we see today. Just this past weekend, floodwaters made their way in the store. And now, days later, even more flash flood warnings is putting him on edge once again. I'm very worried about it today. Too much water, everything in here was a mess. Put this, trying to stop, but was not enough. From the ceilings, to his basement, to the overflow from his neighbor's backyards. Nobody listen, nobody do nothing, starting from the landlord. In just a matter of minutes, puddles like this one are already forming, and while business owners say they're holding their breath each time heavy rain moves through here, they're also calling on the city to step up to keep them afloat. What we need is to know what the city could do is now, it's not four or five years. Back in 2025, under the Adams administration, the city announced a $390 million investment to upgrade sewer systems in Bushwick and alleviate chronic flooding, a project that would take about a decade to be complete. In the meantime, business owners are left with the cleanup. In Bushwick, Morgan Scott, News 12 Brooklyn.