It was last August when historic flooding caused catastrophic damage to infrastructure in Suffolk County. Ten months later and residents are growing frustrated that work to repair what was destroyed has yet to begin.

Storms on Aug. 18 and 19, 2024, broke Harbor Road and drained Grist Mill Pond in Stony Brook.

Residents say that since then, the Town of Brookhaven and the Ward Melville Heritage Organization have been in a stalemate over who owns the road and, therefore, who is responsible for repairing it.

"It's just two entities pointing fingers and that's not acceptable," Head of the Harbor resident Beth Zweig said. "We can't leave it like this. Somebody has to take responsibility and fix it."

People in the community continue to complain that the dilapidated road and pond are deteriorating the longer they sit idly. Others have raised concerns about public safety, arguing that emergency vehicles don't have a direct route to the eastern half of the village.

“It’s shocking to see it like this," Stony Brook resident Joan Farum Montach said. "Nobody’s ever seen it like this. It’s the road and the pond and just the devastation and all the wildlife has left.”

A rally to demand work to begin will take place tomorrow at the intersection of Harbor Road and Main Street in Stony Brook from 12 p.m. - 2 p.m.

In response to the planned protest, Brookhaven Town Supervisor Dan Panico held a press conference today.

He presented land records that he says prove the Ward Melville Heritage Organization is the rightful owner of the road and is the only group that can sign off with New York State to get the FEMA funds necessary to start construction.

"This is absurdity that does not need to occur," Panico said. "Just saying that you're not the owner does not mean you are not truly the owner."

But for Ward Melville Heritage Organization President Gloria Rocchio, the answer is not so simple, but she is sure her organization is not responsible.

"The title search indicated we do not own the road and the result of that report is undetermined who owns it," Rocchio said.

A spokesperson for FEMA, which administers the money to the state to reimburse the local municipalities that pay for the work, told News 12 in a statement: "FEMA is working closely with our partners at the New York State Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Services (DHSES) to administer the Public Assistance program in Suffolk County. We continue to offer support and guidance as needed throughout the process, so the applicant (DHSES) and subapplicants can apply for eligible funding. While FEMA funds the Public Assistance program, subapplicants submit projects through DHSES, which administers the program."