

Migrants at NYC’s Floyd Bennett Field say storm caused metal bolts, hinges to fall from tent ceiling

Migrants at the Big Apple’s tent shelter at Floyd Bennett Field said Monday’s monster storm caused metal bolts and hinges to drop from the ceiling — leaving them terrified the structure would collapse.
Several asylum-seekers told The Post they spent a sleepless night inside the Brooklyn shelter site — currently home to 1,700 migrants — as 55 mph winds and heavy rain lashed the Big Apple.
“Pieces were falling from the roof,” said Leugim del Carmen Martinez Ordaz of Peru.
“It’s so dangerous for the children. Things could fall on them,” the asylum-seeker said.
A handful of migrants pocketed the metal ceiling parts they claim dropped during the ferocious storm, later showing The Post images of the pieces of metal.
“The wind was so strong, it looked like the tents were going to give way and be blown apart,” said Venezuelan migrant Reibi Rodriguez, who is staying at the city-run site with his wife and three kids.
“[It] seemed the bolts were loosening,” he added. “When we told security we were afraid of an imminent collapse, they told us the door was open and we could leave when we want. But where are we going to go?”
Venezuelan mom, Geraldine Miere, said her kids, too, were unable to catch some shut-eye amid the storm.
“Last night, since two in the morning, the children couldn’t sleep. Strong winds were shaking the tents. We were worried they would come apart at any moment,” Miere said.
“We asked the staff for help, but they didn’t do anything. I heard one of them joke they would like to see a tent come down just to see what we would do.”
Other asylum-seekers said some tents experienced flooding, with water leaking from parts of the roof.
“We also had water coming in in places, water on the floor,” said Ecuadorian migrant, Victoria Plaza, who is staying at Floyd Bennett with her husband and two daughters.
She added that workers were quick to clean up the flooding.
City Hall said an evacuation plan was readied in the lead-up to the storm, which had dumped between 2 and 4 inches of rain on the region by early Monday, though it didn’t need to be used.
Despite the claims from migrants, officials said no flooding was reported at Floyd Bennett overnight and that the tents were structured to withstand high winds.
City Hall officials added they were unaware of reported of bolts and hinges dropping from the ceilings.
“Those facilities, those tents, they are geared for very, very high winds. We had very high winds this morning, but we did not hit the trigger,” city Commissioner of Emergency Management Zach Iscol said of the evacuation plan.
He said Mayor Eric Adams had already acknowledged that the Floyd Bennett site isn’t ideal to be housing migrant families — but suggested the city had no other choice during the surging asylum-seeker crisis.
“When I was out there this morning, you see young children who are afraid. You see families who are unable, you know, who are worried and concerned because of the weather,” Iscol said hours after a site visit.
“This is what the federal government provides,” he said. “Our team is doing amazing work to make it work and keep people safe.”