NEW YORK (1010 WINS) -- Governor Pataki Wednesday declared a State Disaster Emergency for thirteen counties and contiguous areas that suffered damages in the flooding that ravaged sections of the State following the recent heavy rains.
Wednesday's flooding killed at least three people in upstate New York and at least twelve people across the Northeast. The flood also closed the Thruway between Syracuse and Schenectady and caused mass evacuations including up to 200,000 people in the Wilkes-Barre area. New York State Electric and Gas said 16,000 customers were without power and the Thruway is expected to be closed through Wednesday morning.
The following counties have been declared for a State Disaster Emergency: Broome, Cortland, Tioga, Chenango, Delaware, Montgomery, Schoharie, Otsego, Herkimer, Sullivan, Oneida, Orange, Sullivan and Ulster Counties .
"We lost just about everything -- the cars, the clothes, even the baby's crib,'' said James Adams, who evacuated his family's home near Binghamton overnight after watching their shed float away and their cars submerge. "I'm not sure what we are going to do.''
Governor Pataki said that property damage from this week's deadly flooding is likely to total about 100 million dollars. Forecasters claimed that even more flooding could be coming tomorrow, saying runoff from today's torrential rain could drive water levels across the state even higher.
"The fact that the sun is shining doesn't mean the worst is behind us,'' Pataki told reporters during a midday disaster tour. "The Susquehanna has not peaked.''
Thousands were ordered to leave their homes in New Jersey, New York and Maryland. Rescue helicopters plucked residents from rooftops as rivers and streams surged over their banks, washed out roads and bridges, and cut off villages in some of the worst flooding in the region in decades.
State officials said they had been asking the Federal Emergency Management Agency for more help. The Associated Press also reported that experts were sent to the Binghamton area by the Department of Environmental Conservation for dam inspections.
The Governor activated the National Guard early Tuesday evening to support evacuation and engineering missions.
For more information on the highway system in the State, visit the
Department of Transportation's website at www.travelinfony.com.
For more information on preparedness, visit www.semo.state.ny.us
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