Governor Kathy Hochul on Sunday night expanded a state of emergency issued in areas of New York hit by flooding to include Ontario County.
Hochul noted that heavy rains Sunday night led to significant flooding in the Canandaigua area. State emergency teams were helping the local response efforts, including state swift water rescue teams who were checking on residents in the neighborhoods that were hit the hardest.
"Due to increasingly dangerous conditions, I am expanding our State of Emergency to Ontario County," Hochul said. "State personnel are on the ground and supporting local response efforts. New Yorkers in impacted regions should do everything they can to avoid flooded roads and stay alert for additional weather."
New York State Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Services Commissioner Jackie Bray said, "Our team has been on the ground in Canandaigua this evening assisting Ontario County local officials and emergency responders with flood-related impacts. We continue to support these efforts and others across the state as heavy rain has caused widespread flooding. New Yorkers should take extra caution, if traveling, and stay alert."
A Red Cross shelter was opened up at the Canandaigua town hall.
Meteorologist Josh Nichols noted that more than 5 inches of rain fell by Sunday night in parts of Canandaigua.
5.55 in of total rainfall at the Canandaigua airport today. Extreme rainfall rates lead to serious flooding issues today. It'll take a while for the area to clean up after this situation. #FLX #WX pic.twitter.com/tRW9GctmJR
— Josh Nichols (@wnywxguy) July 10, 2023
Ontario County Sheriff David Cirencione said on Monday morning that some roads in the town of Canandaigua had bee reopened including CR 30, CR 16, Cooley Rd. and Short Rd. But he also noted that some streets within the city of Canandaigua were still closed while debris is being cleared.
Cirencione said that everyone in that area is urged to continue driving with caution since debris may remain and there has been damage to some roadways, especially along the shoulders.
Heavy rain spawned extreme flooding in New York’s Hudson Valley that killed at least one person, swamped roadways and forced road closures on Sunday night, as much of the rest of the Northeast U.S. geared up for a major storm.
The extent of the destruction won’t be known until after sunrise on Monday, as residents and officials begin surveying the damage. But officials said the storm had already wrought tens of millions of dollars in damage.
The governor on Sunday night also declared a state of emergency Sunday for Orange County, about 60 miles north of New York City, where about 8 inches of rain poured down.
This story includes reporting by the Associated Press.
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