County Executive Maggie Brooks (left) and Mary Louise (Muffy) Meisenzahl (second from left), administrator of the county's emergency preparedness office listen as (at podium, left to right) Spencerport Mayor Ted Walker, Ogden Highway Superintendent Dave Widger and Ogden Supervisor Gay Lenhard speak at a press conference in Ogden. Brooks had intended to speak on Ogden/Spencerport's role in emergency preparedness and homeland security. The focus of the conference changed because the area was affected by heavy rains and flooding. Photo by Robbi Hess

In the early morning hours of September 9, Spencerport and Ogden officials toured their communities to assess conditions following nearly full day and night rainfall. What they and many other town and village leaders throughout the area found were roadways flooded and impassable. Spared the brunt of Hurrican Frances which caused so much damage in Bermuda and Florida during Labor Day weekend, the northeast was not spared the torrential precipitation. Above, Route 259 at the entrance to the Village Plaza, was closed for much of the day. Officials were studying any damage to the roadway. Westside News staff photograph.

The parking lot of Spencerport Village Plaza where water flowed to a depth of two feet at times. Westside News staff photograph.

Pumping out to prevent water from rising to the Hilton Fire Dept. – According to Jim Mullen, retired from the Hilton Fire Dept., Salmon Creek floods to this level about every 30 years. Last time – mid-1970s, prior to that the 1940s. Photo by Barbara Carder.

Communities declare states of emergency; attempt to deal with water

In an ironic twist, County Executive Maggie Brooks' planned press conference on emergency preparedness turned into the real thing as the Western Monroe area responded to the damaging rainfall that buffeted the area on Wednesday, September 8 and continued on into the afternoon hours of Thursday. As of 11 a.m. Thursday, states of emergency had been declared in the Villages of Brockport and Spencerport and more than 5,600 homes were still without electricity across Monroe County.

"The county hasn't opened its emergency center yet," Brooks said at the press conference in Ogden. She praised local officials for their prompt response to the flooding situation. "When there's an emergency in Monroe County, we collaborate to get the job done." At the press conference Brooks had intended to declare September emergency preparedness month. "The spirit of why we are gathered here is still certainly relevant," she said.

If the local communities can continue to monitor their "pockets of problems" Brooks said, that is the way the flooding emergency will continue to be dealt with. In Ogden, Dave Widger, highway superintendent, said that at one point, the underpass on Washington Street in Adams Basin had seven feet of standing water. Two families were evacuated from the area and a large section of the road had washed away. "There was more than four feet of water in the homes," he said, adding that there hasn't been an evacuation since 1972. "The pipes under the canal just can't handle the volume of water we're seeing."

Rainfall ranged from 2-1/2 inches to close to four inches across Western Monroe and into Orleans County.

Spencerport's mayor, Ted Walker, said one of their main areas of concern was the business district. "The Village Plaza has had up to 2 1/2 feet of standing water and many businesses are flooded." Some elected officials had been out touring the area since before daybreak to assess the damage and to determine if road and school closing were necessary. Assemblyman William Reilich (134 District), who had been out since 7 a.m., was on his way to Brockport to survey the damage there. "Beyond this emergency today, the area will face a tremendous clean-up effort," he said. "We're going to be looking for funds to help with that effort."

In Brockport, Mayor Josephine Matela declared the state of emergency at 9:30 a.m. due to roads that were impassable and dangerous because of the flooding. Village officials banned all unnecessary travel. Schools in Albion, Brockport, Holley and Spencerport were closed because of the heavy rainfall, flooding and in some cases, lack of electricity. In the Hilton Central School District, 750 Northwood Elementary students were moved to the Quest Elementary School because of the weather conditions.

The creek which runs behind properties on Coleman Avenue in Spencerport is normally three feet below this bridge. Westside News staff photo.	The front lawn at 2821 Lake Road in Clarkson. Photo by Rick Nicholson.
Mariah St. – looking south toward the overflowing Salmon Creek. Photo by Barbara Carder.	Looking west along Brook St. houses that border Salmon Creek. Officials kept a watchful eye on the Route 259 Salmon Creek bridge as water levels increased. Photo by Barbara Carder.