On a short stretch of Flatlands Avenue in Canarsie, drivers say the daily commute has turned into a nerve-wracking obstacle course. A cluster of sinkholes between East 95th and East 96th streets has widened this week, turning a heavily used block into what residents describe as a real hazard for both cars and people on foot.
Neighbors report cars bouncing over the growing depressions and swerving at the last second to avoid damage. A piece of sidewalk skirting now sits a couple of inches below the curb, and people who use the block every day say the scattered cones and quick patch jobs are no match for the problem.
Residents told News 12 Brooklyn that the holes first showed up more than a week ago and some have since grown to roughly six inches deep. "It’s a band-aid. You see this, and God forbid someone driving at night, they hit it, they could lose their steering," said Canarsie resident Dennis Lewis. Workers in the area also pointed to a sinkhole in the center of 95th Street that has been steadily expanding, along with a cone at the site that now leans after being clipped by passing cars.
In a statement to News 12 Brooklyn, the Department of Environmental Protection said "crews have been dispatched to investigate and address the issue." One of the sinkholes on the block appeared partially filled on Thursday, but neighbors say a patch-over will not cut it if the real problem is failing pavement or underground pipes. They want a full repair before the block goes from scary to tragic.
A long-running problem in Canarsie
Locals say none of this is exactly a surprise. Ground collapse and sewer troubles have been a recurring storyline in this part of southern Brooklyn for decades. The Canarsie Courier has documented sinkholes in the neighborhood over the years, a history that residents say makes swift, thorough work on Flatlands Avenue feel all the more urgent.
How the city typically responds
The city's NYC Department of Environmental Protection has previously described rapid, multiagency responses to major street collapses - sending crews into the field, coordinating with DOT, FDNY and NYPD, using inspection tools to assess sewers, and rebuilding damaged pipe when needed. For the Flatlands Avenue situation, the brief statement to the press is the only public detail so far, and DEP has not released a repair timeline beyond saying that crews were dispatched.
Neighbors say they plan to keep the pressure on city agencies and are urging drivers to slow down on the block while crews sort out what is going on beneath the surface. This story will be updated as the city provides more information on repairs or a schedule.
