Storm Breaks Rainfall Records
The storm hit the Capital Region hard on Tuesday and Wednesday, delivering what officials described as unprecedented rainfall totals, the New York State Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Services said in a post on Facebook on Thursday. The agency said some locations saw rainfall amounts only seen once in 1000 years, while others recorded their wettest days in decades.
State Response and Rescues
New York’s State Emergency Operations Center was activated and swift water rescue teams were sent to help local responders in the Capital Region and Mid-Hudson areas, the state’s homeland security said in additional updates on Facebook. The agency urged residents to “turn around, don’t drown” and avoid flooded roads, warning that just 6 inches of moving water can sweep away a person and a foot of moving water can carry off a car.
First responders in Albany and other towns pulled people from flooded homes and vehicles on Wednesday and pumped out flooded basements, though no deaths or injuries were reported and waters had started receding by Thursday.
Historic Mill Destroyed
Among the hardest-hit properties was a centuries-old grist mill in Castleton-on-Hudson. Owner Andy Klein said that a neighbor warned him of rising water around 8 a.m. on Wednesday, and that a nearby creek flooded his property with 3 to 4 feet of water, destroying the mill’s oldest section. “It’s just a horrible event,” Klein said. “The mill’s been there for hundreds of years, and [a] very sad event. I’m a big fan of history, and I just watched a building being torn apart.” Castleton-on-Hudson’s water plant was also damaged, prompting a boil-water advisory and calls to conserve water.
Local States of Emergency
Multiple local governments declared emergencies on Wednesday as roads flooded and became impassable. Rensselaer Mayor Michael DeFrancesco declared an emergency through 7 a.m. on Thursday, warning of hazardous travel near the Columbia Turnpike and other low-lying areas. Rensselaer County, the Town of Schodack, Greene County, the Town of Chatham, the Village of Coxsackie, and the Village of Castleton all issued similar declarations amid widespread road closures.
Deadly Flooding in New Jersey
The flooding extended beyond New York. Rainfall topped 7 inches in several eastern New York locations, and at least one child died in New Jersey after being swept into the Passaic River on Wednesday evening. Passaic Mayor Hector Lora said in a post early on Thursday morning that a 10-year-old boy’s body had been recovered and a search continued for a 10-year-old girl after the two were caught in the river’s high waters. An 11-year-old girl, the boy’s sister, escaped the waters and survived.
