The Village of Liberty in upstate New York declared a State of Emergency this week after a deluge of rain soaked the Sullivan County municipality.
A Village of Liberty sewer department gauge shows that 3.96 inches of rain fell, and the declaration was issued to manage public safety threats caused by flash flooding.
“Declaring a State of Emergency allows us to respond to and take whatever steps are necessary to protect life and property, infrastructure and provide emergency assistance as needed," Village of Liberty mayor Joan Stoddard told NTD. "The quick response from out DPW [Department of Public Works] helped to reopen clogged drainage so the water could flow rather than back up and flood.”
The Village of Liberty is located in the Catskill mountain region and is about 100 miles away from New York City.
What's notable about the emergency is the speed and volume of rain that fell in a short period of time, according to Stoddard.
“Many areas of the Village were affected by the massive amount of water,” Stoddard said. “Our DPW crew were everywhere trying to keep areas cleared.”
The decree was signed at 4:30 p.m. on Tuesday, and under the order, municipal departments and agencies across the Village of Liberty are directed to carry out protective actions.
“They normally process 451 gallons per minute at the plant, yesterday it was 5,500 gallons per minute,” Stoddard said. “Fortunately, the crew had made preparations and were able to contain the additional water.”
There are several washed-out roads and the Elementary School on Main Street is flooded along with many basements. Jeff Bank on Church Street is also closed due to flood waters, according to Stoddard.
“Our DPW crew is evaluating the damage, cleaning and clearing what they can and meeting with County and State officials to assess damage,” she said.
Stoddard noted that Balsam Road was partially closed after a culvert bridge collapsed, Hill Street is washed out, and the bottom of Charles Street was closed after washouts.
Several other roads have been damaged.
“Rainwater is very acidic and must be treated before released and will require substantial chemical treatments to bring the rainwater PH from 3.99 to 6.5,” she added. “Much of the water has receded, but the sewer plant is still running at 1,111 gallons per minute vs the normal 451.”
Section 24 of New York State Executive Law permits executive authority now that the declaration is signed by Stoddard.
The maximum amount of time permitted for local emergency declarations under New York state law is 30 days.