On Wednesday, Senator Fred Akshar met with Town of Tioga and County officials, and then visited the site where the bridge damage caused by flash flooding forced the closure of Route 17 between exits 62 and 63. Pictured is the western side of the bridge structure. This is what the damaged side should look like, with riprap stabilizing things. Traffic continues to be re-routed, and it is estimated, unofficially, that the work needed should be completed before school starts.
“Each time it floods it is a bit different,” said Frank Catalano, Town of Tioga Highway superintendent and one of several officials that gathered with Senator Fred Akshar on Wednesday to discuss damage from Sunday and Monday’s flash flooding event that hit the region.
Of major concern during Wednesday’s visit by Senator Akshar, is the damage to the support of the structure underneath a major highway bridge located between exits 62 and 63 on Route 17 / I-86. During Wednesday’s visit, Senator Akshar visited damaged areas in the Village of Nichols, as well as the damaged bridge site that has forced a highway closure and the re-routing of traffic.
According to Rick Sperski, New York State Department of Transportation’s resident engineer for Tioga County, any repairs to the bridge will take time, and they are hopeful to have them completed by the time school begins in September.
Senator Fred Akshar takes a look at the damage at Kirby Park in Nichols on Wednesday. Standing with him is Bill Cass, a 36-year employee for the Village of Nichols. Cass stated, “I’ve cleaned up numerous flood messes, so I’ve seen this before.”
Flooding Woes
The flash flooding was reminiscent of a recurring problem for this region – flooding. While the river levels remained well below flood stage during this rain event, many area residents were dealt rising waters due to the heavy amount of rain that fell in a short amount of time. Areas with poor drainage, or vulnerable areas of infrastructure were at most risk for this type of flooding.
Town of Tioga Superintendent Louis Zorn, during Wednesday’s meeting with the Senator, stated, “We have a problem at large here.”
Tioga Center was hit hard during the flooding of 2011, and drainage and water flow problems continue.
The North Avenue underpass closed traffic off on Monday following the flash flooding that occurred around the region.
Catalano described the ongoing problems, stating that the streams need to be cleaned out to alleviate future problems. He noted that they don’t have the permission they need to clean out the streams.
Zorn added to this, stating, “At this point, you get floods that bring gravel and the streams need to be cleaned out.”
Several superintendents at the meeting related to this point, noting that the gravel can then be used somewhere else, oftentimes in the form of shared services with another municipality.
Cars drive through flooded roads in Owego on Monday.
Mitigation plans and hopes for funding
Akshar tasked Tioga County Legislative Chairwoman, Martha Sauerbrey, who was also at the meeting, with drafting a plan for mitigation as a group.
And as for the cost of repairs, Zorn explained to the Senator that the town would have to hold off on paving due to a shift in funding to make continued flood repairs.
Senator Akshar requested that the town quantify these numbers.
“I need to know your immediate needs and expense,” said Akshar, adding that he didn’t want the town to have to utilize other needed funds for the flooding repairs.
But they all agreed that cleaning out the creeks is the bigger solution, one that needs approval from the Department of Environmental Conservation.
Traffic is rerouted off of Route 17 / I-86. Flash flooding caused damage to the support of the structure underneath the bridge located between exits 62 and 63 on Route 17 / I-86. Traffic continues to be re-routed, and it is estimated, unofficially, that the work needed should be completed before school starts.
Route 17 Traffic Detour
And of the roads that got washed out during the recent flash flooding, and the homes that experienced problems, the damage to the Route 17 / I 86 bridge located between exits 62 and 63 is having the most impact, locally.
On Wednesday, Akshar toured the site of the bridge that is deemed unsafe.
The riprap and fill used as a foundation to support the structure was washed away on the eastern side of the bridge from the force of the flash flooding. Because of this, traffic is now being re-routed, and a temporary crossover was put into place on Tuesday evening to help with the traffic flow.
As stated earlier by Rick Sperski, the bridge will be inoperable for a while, with hopes to have it open in time for the start of school in September. He did not, however, discuss the type of work that would be needed to complete the repair as the situation continues to be assessed.
One area resident, Michelle Anders and her son Mason, took advantage of the heavy rain and did a little kayaking on Monday in their yard. Anders was affected by the flooding in 2011, and subsequently had her home elevated.
Governor sends staff to assess
On Monday, Governor Andrew M. Cuomo deployed commissioners and executive and regional staff from the Governor’s Office, Department of Transportation, and Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Services to assess damage after heavy rains and flooding occurred in both Tioga and Broome Counties.
“Flooding and other severe weather have damaged roads and bridges across the Southern Tier and continues to cause issues in urban areas, where drainage is poor, and near rivers and streams which are already at their peak levels,” Governor Cuomo said in a press release on Monday. He added, “We are deploying state resources to provide assistance to New Yorkers in need and help these communities recover as quickly as possible.”
More than 12 Department of Environmental Conservation officers, Spills Response and Division of Water staff arrived to inspect flood control projects in Broome, Tioga, and Chenango counties. In a release, the governor noted that inspections to date have not identified any issues.
On Monday, DEC Environmental Conservation Officers patrolled the Big Choconut Creek in Vestal in response to flooding and to determine if additional resources might be required. Initial reports, according to the governor’s release, indicate the Susquehanna River and associated flood control facilities were not adversely affected, but localized heavy rains south of the Susquehanna caused flash flooding in some streams in the watershed.
Damage assessments are continuing.
Damage to Kirby Park
At Kirby Park in Nichols, N.Y., in which Senator Akshar made a stop to on Wednesday, a portion of the road crumbled during the flash flooding, and other damage to the property was evident.
Bill Cass, a 36-year employee for the Village of Nichols, stated, “I’ve cleaned up numerous flood messes, so I’ve seen this before.”
Kirby Park is planning a work bee on Aug. 5, weather permitting, to get the debris cleaned up inside of the park.
Cass reminisced on the flooding he has seen there, and noted that when they built the levee in the 1970’s, the park was on the wrong side of it. “This is why we get so much flooding here,” said Cass.
Other flooding
In other areas, like Owego, water backed up below the underpass on North Avenue, and water flow from drainage was creating areas of flooding on several roads, like Erie Street and further up on North Avenue.
In rural areas, some residents were faced with basement water, while others experienced pooling and a surge of high flowing water on their property.
Tioga Downs in Nichols, whose property entrance was obstructed temporarily due to flash flooding, also issued a statement last Monday.
In their press release, they advised that guests coming to the casino from the east should take the Lounsberry exit (exit 63), and then take a right at the end of the exit ramp. Then make a left onto River Road. They noted that westbound travel is unaffected.
Residents are reminded to take caution during a flash flood, and to stay informed. For up to date travel conditions, including road closures, dial 511 or visit www.511ny.org.
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