Residents had to deal with flash flooding last week, and after hours of steady and often heavy rainfall landed on already saturated grounds in the Southern Tier. According to the National Weather Service, our region saw over 10-inches of rainfall in August and September, with the totals increasing during the month of October but not tallied yet.
After a soggy summer and early fall, any heavy rainfall can wreak havoc on things, especially from the overflow of area waterways and drainage problems in low-lying areas. After covering dozens of rain events, it is safe to say that a little rain can often be too much. On Tuesday, several inches of rain prompted flash flooding, and the Susquehanna River rose to near Action Stage, according to NWS reports.
By Tuesday afternoon, the north side of Hickories Park was closed off as waters from the creek began to rise. This forced the immediate closure of The Rebecca Weitsman Memorial Dog Park, the soccer fields, and all of the amenities over the bridge by the Traci’s Hope Pavilion. By evening the entire park was blocked off at the main entrance by Town officials.
Other areas in the region, like the Cannonhole area in Barton, Kirby Park in Nichols, and Routes 26 and 79 in the Town of Maine saw flooding, creating hazardous conditions.
The Susquehanna River in Owego was reaching near Active Stage on Wednesday, and following the steady rainfall. Although this riverbank is higher up, low-lying areas of the river saw flooding, and its tributaries were bursting at the seams. (Photo by Wendy Post)
In the Village of Owego, an official notification system kept residents updated on river and creek levels throughout the evening on Tuesday, and as the rain began to taper and water from upstream and uphill began to arrive.
As of this reporting, Hickories Park remains closed. On Wednesday, two members of the United States Geographical Service out of Ithaca launched a boat at the park to measure things.
Water inundated the Rebecca Weitsman Memorial Dog Park during last week’s rain event. Fortunately, there was no significant damage noted on Thursday. (Photo by Wendy Post)
The Rebecca Weitsman Memorial Dog Park also remained closed on Thursday, but was assessed and there was no significant damage noted. Volunteers at the park recently placed new mulch in the agility area and repaired some fencing, so this was welcome news.
For the rest of the region, it’s business as usual as weather patterns continue to change. You can learn more by visiting www.weather.gov.
Downtown Owego’s Riverwalk was closed off to pedestrians on Wednesday, and following Tuesday’s rainfall. (Photo by Wendy Post)
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