Cayuga and Oneida are among 11 counties under a state of emergency after heavy rains and high winds caused flooding and power outages. Other counties include Chautauqua, Dutchess, Erie, Essex, Hamilton, Herkimer, Mongomery, Saratoga, and Warren.
The governor's office says the extreme weather caused nearly 60 roads closures across the state and left more than 241,000 buildings or homes without power. The Governor is deploying 200 members of the National Guard to assist localities with response and clean-up operations. The soldiers and airmen will be deployed over the next 24 hours and will be equipped with bobcats, dump trucks and front-end loaders to assist with clearing debris.
The Governor is also activating the State Emergency Operations Center in Albany to Level Four status and directing state agencies to continue deploying emergency response personnel equipment and personnel - most of which are already in the field. New Yorkers are advised to exercise extreme caution and only travel if necessary. Motorists should travel with extra caution as multiple roads are closed and floodwaters may make driving difficult throughout the day.
In the North Country, there is a continued threat for minor flooding around smaller streams and creeks due to runoff from up to three inches of rain last night and very strong west winds picking up this morning, with the strongest winds expected over the Finger Lakes and western Mohawk Valley before noon today. Quiet and much cooler weather is expected tonight through Saturday night.
In the Mohawk Valley, areas of light rain with isolated pockets of moderate rain are expected to continue to exit eastern New York through daybreak. West to northwest winds gusting over 40 mph are expected in most areas through early afternoon today.
There are currently 58 road closures across New York State, including 32 in the Mohawk Valley. Seventeen Damage Assessment Teams and 12 Bridge Assessment Teams are being prepared to deploy to the Mohawk Valley to evaluate storm impacts and assess actions needed to safely reopen roads.
Multiple warnings, watches and advisories for flooding and high winds have been issued for several parts of the State, many of which are in effect until Saturday. For a complete list of weather watches, warnings, advisories and latest forecasts, visit the National Weather Service website.
