“Westchester faired much better than our neighbors in Orange and Rockland County did, and there also was some damage in Putnam and a little bit in Dutchess, as well,” Westchester County Executive George Latimer said on July 10 as the cleanup from the storms and flooding that hit the Hudson Valley on July 9 continued. Up to 10 inches of rain fell in some areas in what was described as a “thousand year storm.”
Latimer said that some communities in the northern part of the county were among the sections that were inundated, resulting in road and structure flooding and power outages.
“We were much more fortunate on this side of the Hudson and we’re grateful for that,” Latimer said.
On the morning of July 10, Gov. Kathy Hochul, Orange County Executive Steve Neuhaus and other officials went to Highland Falls, near West Point, which was especially hard hit.
“This was a frightening, life-threatening experience,” Hochul said. She called the event an “incredible shock to this region.”
Both Neuhaus and Hochul had declared states of emergency for Orange County due to flooding caused by the torrential rains. A woman died when she left her home in the town of Highlands as floodwaters were rising. She was swept into a ravine.
In Rockland, County Executive Ed Day reported that about 40 people were rescued from cars trapped in floodwaters. The Palisades Parkway and Route 9W were among the numerous roads that had sections closed due to flooding.
The CSX railroad freight line was flooded in about 10 locations and was out of service. Two local sewage treatment plants in the Highlands area suffered damage and residents were urged to boil water before use regardless of whether it came from private wells or the public water supply.
“I saw active duty army soldiers up to their bellies (in flood water),” Neuhaus said. “Easily, tens of millions of dollars in damage here.”
Neuhaus praised good Samaritans who stopped to help people trapped in their cars. New York State Police led numerous drivers and passengers to safety when their cars stalled in deep water or were washed off roads.
The flooding caused Metro-North service to be suspended between Croton-Harmon and Poughkeepsie, with buses pressed into service for commuters. Metro-North service was restored as of the morning of July 12. Amtrak service between New York City and Albany was suspended as work crews labored to rebuild sections of track roadbed that had been washed away by the flood waters. Hochul said that about 800 people were stranded on trains Sunday night.
Hochul said that the federal government’s FEMA has pledged to provide all assistance necessary. She also said that she spoke with the White House and U.S. Sens. Chuck Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand. She said the senators pledged to help bring federal aid to the area. Hochul said that officials from West Point offered to provide whatever assistance they could.
Hochul said that Schumer pledged that federal infrastructure dollars would be made available for repairs to roadways, bridges and local facilities.
U.S. Rep. Mike Lawler added his voice, saying, “It’s incumbent on all of our federal, state, and local elected officials to work together in order to assess the damage. It’s clear, based on initial assessments, that we are looking at tens of millions of dollars in damage here, and we all need to work together in order to ensure that the full force of OEM and FEMA are able to help with recovery efforts.”
Metro-North work train stabilizes roadbed along Hudson River tracks.Schumer, Gillibrand and Rep. Pat Ryan, who is a graduate of West Point, in a joint statement called for flood remediation work to begin immediately at the military academy.
“Academic buildings, portions of the cadet barracks, and privatized family housing have experience flooding,” their joint statement said. “Many of the buildings on campus are historic, reflecting West Point”™s more than two hundred year history of military excellence. Â Stony Lonesome Gate was a vantage point for Revolutionary war soldiers stationed at the steep outpost; now a gate to West Point, the exit lane has washed away, bringing the access point down to one lane.
The New York State Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Services’ Office of Emergency Management activated the State Emergency Operations Center in order to receive local requests for assistance. Neuhaus said it was impossible to come up with a count of the number of incidents that took place because so many were “spur of the moment.” Four state Swift Water Rescue teams were deployed to assist with local flood rescue efforts. State personnel were sent to the Orange County Emergency Operations Center to facilitate local requests for assistance.
There were more than 12,000 power outages reported in Putnam, Dutchess, Albany, Ulster and Orange counties as a result of the storm.
Hochul said that because of advance warnings about the heavy rains moving in there were approximately 9,000 first responders and workers ready to jump into action when the floods hit. She warned of additional flooding during the week in parts of New York state as rain lingered and rivers continued to rise.
