NORWICH – Chenango and surrounding counties are under a flood watch and winter weather advisory today until Thursday morning, according to reports this morning from the National Weather Service in Binghamton.
In Sherburne, starting tonight, that area will be under a flood warning in effect until Thursday evening. The Chenango River is expected to rise from 6 to 8.4 feet there, four inches above flood stage, by midnight.
As of tomorrow morning, Bainbridge will also be under a flood warning until further notice. The Susquehanna River in that area is expected to crest at 13.8, 8 inches above flood stage.
In both instances, the weather service and Chenango County Fire Coordinator Matt Beckwith say the flooding will be minor.
On top of rising water, the area will also see some slippery winter weather later in the day and overnight.
According to the National Weather Service, rainfall Wednesday is expected to mix with freezing rain this afternoon and evening that will turn into snow overnight. A winter weather advisory will be in effect for the county until 1 a.m.
A total of 1 to 2 inches of rain is expected to fall by this afternoon, possibly causing minor to moderate river, stream and street flooding across the region. Debris and heavy run-off from the hills could create problems on roadways as well, emergency officials say. Chenango County is under a flood watch until noon Thursday.
“Rivers and streams are forecast to rise significantly today, with minor river flooding possibly starting this afternoon and continuing through tonight,” the weather report states. As of this morning, forecasters were uncertain where the heaviest rain will fall.
In Sherburne and Bainbridge, Beckwith said there will be “moderate to light flooding.”
“We’re fortunate we don’t have a large snow melt,” he added. “There’s not as much run-off down here. There’s also no ice to very little ice, meaning we won’t see any ice jams in the rivers and streams.”
In the City of Norwich, Emergency Management Officer A. Wesley Jones said despite the expected rise in water levels, that both the Canasawacta Creek and Chenango River should stay within their banks today and tomorrow.
“As of this morning, rainfall, although steady, has not been as much as predicted so far,” he said. “The Canasawacta Creek will remain well within its banks. We expect the (Chenango) river to come up to bank full, somewhere around flood stage.”
Jones said if by chance the rainfall does increase through the course of the day and the river does exceed it banks, it won’t be by much. “It would be low-lying flood problems,” he said.
City of Norwich Police Chief Joseph Angelino said this morning that patrols have been monitoring water levels since Tuesday night and will continue throughout today and tomorrow. He added that National Weather Service river gauges will warn of potential flood hazards 6 to 10 hours in advance.
“We are watching very closely,” he said.
As temperatures dip near freezing this afternoon, an icy mixture of freezing rain and sleet is expected to come down that will last through this evening. Overnight, a cold front will move into the area that could add a few inches of snow.
“The combination of snow on top of a frozen surface could make for very slippery conditions,” the report states.
If rainfall highs meet or exceed predictions, forecasters say there is the potential for some sites to reach moderate flooding levels. “Any shift in the heavy rain to the north or south will make a huge difference in the response of streams and rivers,” according to the weather service.
According to weather alerts, it was too early to tell this morning which streams and rivers have the highest threat for flooding. In addition to the potential for river flooding, localized small stream and street flooding will be possible beginning this evening and lasting through the day.