UPDATE: Emergency Officials Tally Flood Damage
Published: April 28th, 2011
By: Tyler Murphy

UPDATE: Emergency officials tally flood damage

Chenango County Emergency Management Coordinator Matt Beckwith reported that the worst of the weather appeared to be over this afternoon, though significant flooding continued to affect the area.

He said the county forecast for the rest of the day included “spotty” showers, but they won’t be as severe as the early morning thunderstorms that caused widespread flash flooding.

The National Weather Service is predicting a chance of limited precipitation for Friday and Saturday. Beckwith said it would likely not be enough to cause additional flash flooding. The Canasawacta Creek is now receding but still above flood stage and the Chenango River crested at around 1:30 p.m. this afternoon.

Chenango County continues to be under a state of emergency until at least 5:30 p.m., after the National Weather Service extended a previous flash flood warning. A travel also advisory warning remains in effect. Though most Chenango’s waterways appear to be receding or cresting this afternoon Beckwith said the Susquehanna River was contining to rise above flood stage, prompting the sevice to extend the precautions.

Beckwith said they’re shutting down the Emergency Operations Center in Norwich at about 3 p.m., where they had been conducting a response to the flooding for the last 12 hours.

Officials have not confirmed a tornado touchdown in the McDonough/ Pharsalia region and said it would be a few days before the weather service made a determination.

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Also reported as of noon:

• 661 customers in the county are still without power

• Still no reported injuries directly related to flooding

Road closures

• State Highway 12: Closed along North Main Street in the Village of Sherburne and between the Halfway House Bridge in Norwich and the Village of Oxford. Will reopen once water recedes, no estimate. UPDATE: Rt. 12/South Broad reopened in the City of Norwich.

• State Highway 220: Closed/one lane in Town of Smithville. Expected to open back up in a few hours.

• State Highway 80: Western parts of the road are one lane in Town of Smyrna. Expected to open up later tonight.

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• County Rd. 39: Closed in Town of Afton by downed power lines and trees between Corbin Rd. and Melody Hill Road.

• County Rd. 21: Closed by a bridge wash-out near Cole Rd.

• Town of Preston road closures: Tamarac, South Griffin, center, Barnes, Turner, Bliven, McDonough, Lewis.

• Town of Sherburne road closures: Blanding, Williams, South Cross. One lane traffic: Reese and Conley.

• City of Norwich road closures: Prentice St., O’Hara Drive.

Note: Not all towns have yet reported road closures, including the harder hit areas of Pharsalia, Plymouth, Otselic and McDonough.




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