Gov. Andrew Cuomo has declared a state of emergency in Steuben County after flash flooding caused extensive damage in parts of the county.
Teams of state and local first responders had to rescue some residents Wednesday night as several inches of rain fell due to the remnants of Tropical Storm Fred.
Steuben County Manager Jack Wheeler said the county also declared a state of emergency to give crews time to clear debris and inspect infrastructure.
“We had over 100 bridges, because we have a ton of bridges, a lot of small creeks in that area that were overtopped by water. And at that point, they need to be all structurally inspected before we can open them up,” Wheeler said.
According to Wheeler, there was damage to a few hundred homes and businesses. While everything hasn’t been totaled up yet, he said the cost of the damage is likely in the millions of dollars.
"We’re talking tens of millions, conservatively. You know, just based on the initial estimates," Wheeler said. "If you look at what’s happening in the school alone, you’re talking multi-million dollars worth of damages throughout our communities."
Wheeler said that a school in the Jasper-Troupsburg district had 4 feet of water in the building.
He is hoping for state and federal assistance. At this point, there are no confirmed serious injuries, but first responders are still investigating.
