Officials in Nichols, N.Y. kept a close eye on the bridge on River Road, and near Kirby Park, as the Wapasening Creek nearly overflowed on Tuesday. (Photo by Wendy Post)
Since we posted this initial report, we learned that the underpass on North Avenue in Owego has flooded, and many other roads are now blocked with detours in place. Remember to visit https://www.511ny.org for an up-to-date listing of road closures.
Flash flooding caused by heavy rainfall over a period of several days is wreaking havoc on area residents in and around Tioga County, N.Y., and has resulted in a State of Emergency being declared by Governor Andrew Cuomo for portions of the Finger Lakes, the Southern Tier, and for Central New York.
According to a press release received by the governor on Tuesday, 50 members of New York’s National Guard have been deployed, along with ten vehicles to support flood response efforts.
Sandbags and pumps are also en route to Seneca County, an area that the governor toured today, as well as neighboring Broome County.
In Nichols, N.Y., Mayor Lesley Pelotte was at Kirby Park with Gary Hammond, from the Tioga County Public Works Department and Bill Cass, Village of Nichols employee.
On Tuesday afternoon, Nichols, N.Y. Mayor Lesley Pelotte, center; Gary Hammond, left, from Tioga County’s Department of Public Works; and Bill Cass, Village of Nichols employee, keep a close eye on the Wapasening Creek levels. By 3 p.m., the levels were starting to go down. (Photo by Wendy Post)
In specific, they were keeping an eye on the Wapasening Creek, which had overflowed earlier in the day into the park, and was running violently – carrying debris along the way.
Both Pelotte and Hammond agreed that they “dodged a bullet”, and the water was actually receding by 3 p.m. with minimal damage left behind.
“We lucked out,” said Hammond, “for now.”
Hammond, and others, were concerned with the tributaries all flowing to the river at once, to include the Wapasening Creek, and cautioned that once the river is full, the tributaries could back up again.
“We will wait and see,” said Pelotte, who had been on site for much of the day to keep an eye on things.
Down the road, and on Route 282 heading towards Rome, Pa. out of Nichols, New York State Department of Transportation personnel had the road blocked from traffic as they kept a close eye on the bridge that runs over the Wapasening there.
New York State Department of Transportation personnel stand by at the bridge located on Route 282 that runs over the Wapasening Creek, a tributary that runs into the Susquehanna River. By 3 p.m. on Tuesday, officials at the site stated that the levels were going down. In this photo, a large tree that had uprooted, as well as the violent flow of the river, was causing concern. Traffic, at the time of this reporting, was blocked in this area. (Photo by Wendy Post)
A nearby home, creek side, was already elevated, and workers said that they saw someone going back and forth to the house throughout the day.
Under the Route 282 Bridge, a large tree, that had uprooted, was wedged underneath, along with other debris.
But by 4 p.m., the transportation officials stated that the levels were going down at that bridge as well.
In July of 2017, flash flooding woes hit the Nichols area, and forced the closure of Route 17 between exits 62 and 63 because of a compromise to the bridge structure. So officials, this time around, were keeping a very close eye on things.
But these were creeks, as the banks of the Susquehanna were beginning to swell by Tuesday afternoon.
In Owego, N.Y., water had traveled over the bank and onto the Riverwalk located behind the row of brick buildings on Front Street.
Workers from various departments have been working full time over the last 24-hours in both Broome and Tioga County.
Governor Andrew Cuomo, during his visit to Broome County on Tuesday, stated, “I want to make this point as serious as a heart attack – floods are nothing to play with.”
Flash flooding and hard rainfall in the area is now compromising the river, which is almost swollen over its banks at the entrance of Hickories Park in Owego. The park is now closed until further notice. (Photo by Wendy Post)
And the governor also mentioned something that is reminiscent of our local community during the 2011 flooding, stating, “I commend all of our brave first responders who are assisting communities impacted by this extreme weather. It’s times like these, when things are at their worst, that New Yorkers are at their best.”
Showers and thunderstorms with locally heavy rain continued Tuesday afternoon across parts of the Finger Lakes, Central New York, Southern Tier, Mohawk Valley, Capital Region south of Albany, Mid-Hudson Valley and New York City.
For a detailed list of weather watches and warnings visit the National Weather Service https://alerts.weather.gov/cap/ny.php?x=1.
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