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Post by Clipper on Nov 2, 2019 8:24:52 GMT -5
I was just watching the national news on our local CBS affiliate and they showed videos of the flooding in CNY. The video of the red house floating down the West Canada Creek, and also some video from Dolgeville.
I don't know if the waters have completely receded, but I can only imagine the devastation of property and infrastructure. The erosion and the debris clean up and repair will take months. I spent my teen years and some of my younger adult years in the Newport area. All of those landmarks that are being shown in photos and video are very familiar to me. The priest that was washed away and drowned just said mass last Sunday at the church where I was married in 1967. We camped at the West Canada Creek Campsite one year when we came up there on vacation. The little red camp that washed down the creek was located less than 1/4 mile from a house that my first wife and I rented when I first came home from the Navy. I used to fish all along the creekbank near it and knew the family that owned it. The convenience store in the photos of the flooding near the Blue Anchor cabins and restaurant is owned by friends who also own or owned the convenience store at Mapledale Corners in Barneveld. In one of the videos from Dolgeville, I saw a house that was surrounded by floodwaters that was the house where my little sister rented her first apartment after graduating from college. Her first teaching job was at Dolgeville elementary school, teaching the first grade.
It is just heartbreaking to see the devastation, knowing that there are people that I am very familiar with and many that I went to school with, have been affected and have suffered varying degrees of loss and property damage. Last night there was a photo on a Newport website that showed the home of a friend of mine from high school. A beautiful ranch style home along the creek. The water was up to the windows of the car parked in the driveway and a foot up the front door.
I jsut saw a photo of Hippo's Billards on Commercial Drive. It showed footprints in the mud on the floors. The family says it is beyond repair and they are shutting it down and leaving the area for good. They actually posted "F.U. NY" on their sign. The Conte family's business interests go way back. They own a business in East Utica that has sold billiard equipment, pool tables, and sold or rented coin-operated video games, pool tables, and other entertainment devices for years. My dad went to school with the elderly Conte's at Proctor back in the 30's. Just one more family business shutting down and one more family giving up on the Utica area and NY State and leaving the area.
We are seeing, and hearing about the flooding in your area, but I have to think that it has been widespread all down the Mohawk river as all that water, along with water from other watersheds pours into the river and eventually into the Hudson.
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Post by clarencebunsen on Nov 2, 2019 12:05:26 GMT -5
My daughter had to use a round about route to get here yesterday. Granddaughter's school was closed so we did day care for her and her cousins. Katie had some leaking from the roof she had repaired last year. She will have to see what is covered by homeowners insurance.
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Post by clarencebunsen on Nov 2, 2019 12:37:29 GMT -5
A friend who lives in Newport just posted some pictures. He had 5 feet of water in his basement and had to evacuate. He is trying to assess the damage now. The Newport Masonic Lodge (where your father was once Master ) is OK.
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Post by Clipper on Nov 2, 2019 18:06:19 GMT -5
I just read on Facebook that the lodge is hosting a hot meal for first responders, evacuees and anyone else that needs a hot meal. Chicken Riggies is on the menu. Brings back memories. I helped cook and serve a few pancake breakfasts in that kitchen when I was in high school.
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Post by BHU on Nov 3, 2019 10:38:37 GMT -5
The NWS issued a flood warning for Oneida County yesterday over the condition of the Trenton Falls dam which is just below Hinckley. No mention on the local news other then a passing mention during the weather report. Gee, you think that considering the NWS issued the warning that there'd be a news story telling people whats going on. But, no. Must be reporting on Comets hockey takes precedence.
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Post by Deleted on Nov 3, 2019 11:25:49 GMT -5
I got that alert also and wonder why no mention on TV about it. I mean if the damn has the potential of collapse I would think it newsworthy.
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Post by BHU on Nov 3, 2019 15:15:44 GMT -5
I was just watching the national news on our local CBS affiliate and they showed videos of the flooding in CNY. The video of the red house floating down the West Canada Creek, and also some video from Dolgeville. I don't know if the waters have completely receded, but I can only imagine the devastation of property and infrastructure. The erosion and the debris clean up and repair will take months. I spent my teen years and some of my younger adult years in the Newport area. All of those landmarks that are being shown in photos and video are very familiar to me. The priest that was washed away and drowned just said mass last Sunday at the church where I was married in 1967. We camped at the West Canada Creek Campsite one year when we came up there on vacation. The little red camp that washed down the creek was located less than 1/4 mile from a house that my first wife and I rented when I first came home from the Navy. I used to fish all along the creekbank near it and knew the family that owned it. The convenience store in the photos of the flooding near the Blue Anchor cabins and restaurant is owned by friends who also own or owned the convenience store at Mapledale Corners in Barneveld. In one of the videos from Dolgeville, I saw a house that was surrounded by floodwaters that was the house where my little sister rented her first apartment after graduating from college. Her first teaching job was at Dolgeville elementary school, teaching the first grade. It is just heartbreaking to see the devastation, knowing that there are people that I am very familiar with and many that I went to school with, have been affected and have suffered varying degrees of loss and property damage. Last night there was a photo on a Newport website that showed the home of a friend of mine from high school. A beautiful ranch style home along the creek. The water was up to the windows of the car parked in the driveway and a foot up the front door. I jsut saw a photo of Hippo's Billards on Commercial Drive. It showed footprints in the mud on the floors. The family says it is beyond repair and they are shutting it down and leaving the area for good. They actually posted "F.U. NY" on their sign. The Conte family's business interests go way back. They own a business in East Utica that has sold billiard equipment, pool tables, and sold or rented coin-operated video games, pool tables, and other entertainment devices for years. My dad went to school with the elderly Conte's at Proctor back in the 30's. Just one more family business shutting down and one more family giving up on the Utica area and NY State and leaving the area. We are seeing, and hearing about the flooding in your area, but I have to think that it has been widespread all down the Mohawk river as all that water, along with water from other watersheds pours into the river and eventually into the Hudson. From what I've seen on news reports Middleville was hit particulary hard. I use to fish the West Canada in that area for trout. There use to be a bait/sport shop right near the bridge over the WC that i would buy bait & any tackle that i needed. I don't know if it's still open or not. It's a damn shame people are losing their homes & businesses because I'm sure many don't have flood insurance. The flooding in Whitesboro is becoming a yearly event. And it never happened until developers were given free reign to pave over half of New Hartford with no regard for the consequences. And the state of N.Y. is partly to blame for building highway extesions to accomodate retail expansion in N.H. It also appears that the benches built along the Saquoit Creek which were supposed to alleviate flooding in Whitesboro failed miserably. They cost $1 million dollars to build. |
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Post by kit on Nov 4, 2019 7:55:12 GMT -5
It's called the "Mohawk Valley" for a reason. It's a valley and water flows downhill, sometimes faster than we'd like, and the results can be devastating. I like a gentle shower, but this was ridiculous. When you see a whole house floating down the creek (which is now a raging river) that's a bit out of the box.
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Post by clarencebunsen on Nov 4, 2019 10:29:37 GMT -5
We have created a lot of non-permeable surface in the Mud Creek and Sauquoit Creek areas which results in a more and faster run-off. Flood benches can help but can't prevent flooding during an event which over topped most of the area dams. Probably the only way forward is a buy out of homes in flood prone areas.
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Post by Clipper on Nov 4, 2019 13:23:27 GMT -5
The sport shop you are speaking of BHU is West Canada Sport Shop. It was owned by a fellow named Hank Dimitri. He passed away a year or so ago. I am not sure if it is still open now, but at one time a fellow named Buck Flansburg was running it. If I had a dime for every dollar I spent in there over the years on guns, tackle and hunting clothes I could probably take a short Florida vacation. lol.
I wonder about some other landmarks in lower Middleville. Kathy and I have stayed at the Herkimer KOA which is actually just South of Middleville by about 1/4 mile. It sits right on the bank of the creek. In 2015 when we came up for my 50th class reunion we camped there for a week. I bought a non-resident license and caught a few nice browns during our stay. We had rented a premium site, right on the creek, with a concrete patio, a 5 burner stainless steel gas grill, a patio table, and lawn swing. There is nothing better than trout, right fresh from the water, with a couple of lemon wedges and some butter placed in the cavity, wrapped in foil, and placed on the grill on low for about 10 minutes. I felt like I was back in Minnesota again, eating shore lunch for breakfast. A nice plump brown trout, some home fried potatoes, and a couple of eggs washed down with a nice cup of hot, black, Folgers.
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Post by BHU on Nov 4, 2019 14:53:45 GMT -5
It's been a few years since I've been up that way to fish the WC. we stayed at the WC creek campsites outside of Poland but that was years ago. Looks like the owners have really made some improvements since we camped there, including a heated pool, full hookups, etc.
I went thru Whitesboro today to visit the vape shop that I frequent. Shop is closed, flooded out. I looked inside & the place is totally empty. It's a shame. Hopefully, they'll rebuild & if they don't I'll have to go to the Rome store. If I owned the place I'd find another location as this is the 2nd time he's been flooded out in 2 years. Whitesboro is a disaster. I drove down Gardener St to get back on Main & every single house on the street has an assortment of furniture, appliances, hot water tanks out front. You get the picture. I'll bet 99% of the people affected don't have flood insurance. Who can afford it?
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Post by Deleted on Nov 4, 2019 15:50:55 GMT -5
It's been a few years since I've been up that way to fish the WC. we stayed at the WC creek campsites outside of Poland but that was years ago. Looks like the owners have really made some improvements since we camped there, including a heated pool, full hookups, etc. I went thru Whitesboro today to visit the vape shop that I frequent. Shop is closed, flooded out. I looked inside & the place is totally empty. It's a shame. Hopefully, they'll rebuild & if they don't I'll have to go to the Rome store. If I owned the place I'd find another location as this is the 2nd time he's been flooded out in 2 years. Whitesboro is a disaster. I drove down Gardener St to get back on Main & every single house on the street has an assortment of furniture, appliances, hot water tanks out front. You get the picture. I'll bet 99% of the people affected don't have flood insurance. Who can afford it? BHU there is a vape shop right on Bleecker St next to New York Connection. Corner of Genesee St and Bleecker St. Large shop at that. |
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Post by Clipper on Nov 4, 2019 16:22:02 GMT -5
BHU, I read somewhere in the flood coverage that one of the little log cabins at West Canada Creek Campgrounds washed down the river during the flood. We stayed there once years ago when we had our fifth wheel. Maybe around the 2010-2011 timeframe. The one thing that we didn't like about the place was that all of the prime sites were seasonal renters. We ended up close to the store. One day while we were away, a partying bunch across the road put our camp stove and lantern on the ground and took our picnic table. They partied until the owner came and shut them down about 11:30. The next day half of our firewood that I had stacked under the rear of the trailer disappeared. Actually, the only thing we DID enjoy about that place was the hot fudge sundaes from the ice cream stand. The owners refunded us part of our money and apologized.
I am trying to picture the part of Gardener St that flooded. Was it between Burger King and Main St? Did Main St. flood? Dimbleby's Funeral Home. How about Zabek's RV Sales?
I agree that they should probably buy out those homes and demolish them. Either make a park area there or just let it go back to nature.
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Post by BHU on Nov 5, 2019 17:46:44 GMT -5
Yes, Gardener is between Oriskany St & Main St. Main St flooded affecting the whole area. The vape shop I frequent on Oriskany is in a small plaza right across from BK. The dry cleaners & the shop took a major hit. Neither have reopened. I heard today that Boulevard Trailers took a major hit & even Joe Tahans furniture up on Commercial Dr. sustained major damage.
FEMA is supposed to be around this week to assess the damage. Then it's up to Trump I believe to declare it a disaster area. Problem is it's going to take years to repair the damage & most homeowners will probably be on their own. They're still working on Hurricane Sandy damage & that was 7 years ago.
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Post by clarencebunsen on Nov 5, 2019 18:34:06 GMT -5
After he retired my Dad volunteered for an organization run by the Methodist Church. They sent rebuilding crews to places which needing rebuilding after a disaster. I can remember his going to the SE US, the Gulf coast and the mid-West. Even after his car accident when he could no longer climb a ladder, they kept sending him because he was good at finishing projects on-time and on-budget. He told me that the hardest thing was telling a family that their home was not salvageable.
Aside: he also worked at a Christian mission in Bethlehem 2 weeks each spring building a hospital and a school.He quit when it became too dangerous.
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