St. James Family's Home Damaged By Flooding: 'Everything, Gone'

ST. JAMES, NY — A St. James couple's home was badly damaged by flash flooding during the massive rainstorm that hit Sunday night into Monday morning.

Around 1:30 a.m. Monday, Melissa and Steve Ficara found their entire downstairs basement "completely gone and under water," said Amanda Chieco, who organized a GoFundMe on behalf of her sister, Melissa.

The basement served as the living space for two of Chieco's family members: her dad and her 18-year-old niece, Sammy.

"Water came in from the front of the house and from the side, filling completely to the ceiling," Chieco wrote on the GoFundMe page, "Support the Ficara Family's Flood Recovery."

"Since this area isn’t usually a flood zone, they do not have flood insurance. All of my dad and niece’s belongings are gone; clothes, furniture, jewelry, medications, my father’s c-pap machine, everything, gone," she said.

The cars in the driveway were all submerged in water, Chieco said.

More than $3,700 had been raised as of Tuesday afternoon.

"If anyone knows my family, none of them ask for help, but are the first ones to help others," Chieco said. "I’m asking for help for them. Anything you can do to ease the burden and financial pain will really go a long way."

To donate to the Ficara family's GoFundMe page click here.

Sunday night's torrential rain led to a long string of stranded motorists and emergency water rescues, as well as flooded basements, closed roads and even a small landslide reported across Long Island, according to the National Weather Service.

The Town of Smithtown was hit particularly hard, receiving approximately 10 inches of rain from the torrential downpour, the town reported.