PLYMOUTH – Federal and state officials met with Sherburne and Plymouth leaders along with several residents Friday to discuss the damaged left by April flooding.
State Senator James Seward chaired the meeting at the Plymouth Town Hall, saying, “I’m a big believer in getting everybody in the same room and sitting at the same table.”
Seward, along with representatives from the Department of Environmental Conservation, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Services, the Village of Sherburne, the Town of Plymouth and about a dozen local homeowners gathered Friday afternoon.
They discussed the possibility of obtaining state or federal aid, the causes of April’s flooding and its continuing effect on the area.
Officials are hoping the area receives a FEMA disaster declaration, which would help fund repairs. To be considered for aid, New York State must have an estimated total of $24 million in damages.
Village of Sherburne Mayor William Acee reported that for one of the first times ever, his municipality’s power utility and wastewater treatment facilities were at risk during heavy rainfall between April 26 and 28.
During that time, the mayor reported the Chenango River broke its banks and began carving a new channel across a field in the direction downtown Sherburne, putting a main transmission line in danger of collapse and coming near the power and water facilities.
Acee said the flood waters dug a new path through the field about a foot and a half deep and about 15 feet wide, causing large amounts of water to enter the surrounding flood plain and overwhelming the village’s drainage system. He said 1.8 million gallons of water moved through the system in less than 24 hours.
Acee and the village board sent a letter of concern to Seward and other state officials May 3 reporting the river was acting in an unprecedented manner than previous floods this year, covering State Highway 12 with 16 inches of water in March and reversing the flow of the nearby Potash Creek in April, along with a number of other irregular observations.
“The village is asking for financial, technical and regulatory help in resolving this issue that has such a great impact on so many vital utilities and possibly the overall viability of our entire community,” wrote Acee.
The village concluded that damage to the Chenango River’s normal banks and a change in the flow of water were responsible for the new issues.
“We feel the new problems experienced with the Chenango River have a direct impact on several major utilities. Storm water flows that normally drain to the south and west toward the Chenango are significantly compromised. This causes flooding along the main north-south state highway of our village,” said Acee.
At Friday’s meeting, Carl Schwarts of U.S. Fish and Wildlife Services reported the damage to the river near Sherburne could be repaired for about $50,000, but warned not fixing the issue now could result in a much higher cost.
“Right now it’s a $50,000 problem, but not fixing it could make it a multi-million dollar problem in the future if the river started flowing through the village,” he said
The Town of Plymouth also suffered severe flooding between April 26 and 28 that Soil and Water spokesman Lance Lockwood said rivaled the amount of precipitation received during the floods of 2006, which damaged large areas of Chenango County.
“It’s a small valley and it was handling a whole lot of water,” said Lockwood.
Corinne Brink was one of a number of local residents who raised issue of how the state is managing Canasawacta Creek. She presented photographs of water rushing by her home and claimed the stream had moved 100 feet closer to her residence along State Highway 23 and is now only a few inches away.
“I’m certain that in the next flood I’m going to lose my home,” she told the group.
Schwarts defended a flood control and wildlife system built following the 2006 floods, saying it helped minimize the damage, but added, “I’m not sure if any system could handle that amount of water,” he said.
Residents complained part of the system failed during the storm and that another area, where the DEC had allowed beavers to build natural dams, also buckled during the flood, causing a surge in the rushing waters.
Schwarts estimated about another $200,000 for Canasawacta Creek repairs. Town of Plymouth officials estimated about $450,000 is also needed in road repairs.
“I think we dodged a bullet this time, but it is only a matter of time before it could happen again and we need to take corrective action,” said Seward. The senator and officials said they would continue to push for aid and would meet again in the coming weeks.