Canandaigua flood cleanup: Where things are at

CANANDAIGUA, NY – The word in the aftermath of the severe rainstorm of July 9 and subsequent flooding in parts of Canandaigua and elsewhere in Ontario County continues to be “cleanup,” although it appears the bulk of the heavy lifting is nearing an end.

Team Rubicon, a veteran-led humanitarian organization that serves global communities before, during, and after disasters and crises, has been volunteering to help homeowners in the cleanup and demolition phase of the flooding.

The team will continue to assist until Friday, July 28, helping folks “get back to normal,” said City Manager John Goodwin.

On many of the city streets in the immediate vicinity of Sucker Brook, where only two weeks ago pumps worked feverishly at emptying flooded basements, and mud-stained and water-soaked boxes, appliances and other household items were placed near the curb for pickup, only green grass, once under several feet of water, remains. Still, reminders that not that long ago, nearly 6 inches of rain fell in about 3 hours and overwhelmed neighborhoods: Sandbags positioned by homes, misshapen leaves, grit and dried mud painted on sidewalks among them.

The city itself will stop picking up flood debris from curbsides July 28, as crews are seeing items that do not appear to have been damaged in the flood, Goodwin said.

“We think we’re at that point where we’ve cleaned up most of the flood damage,” said Goodwin, noting that some residents still have mud in basements, for example.

That’s also where Team Rubicon can step in to help.

Team Rubicon deploys “Greyshirts,” who are made up of veterans, first responders and civilian volunteers to work with local municipalities and partner organizations to aid in disaster recovery, according to Ontario County Administrator Chris DeBolt.

Team Rubicon's work is free to homeowners as well as to the city and county, DeBolt said.

Their primary job here is assisting residents with most all water damage needs, including the removal of mud, and helping with wet flooring, appliances and the like.

Additionally, the volunteers will remove and haul wet drywall and insulation to the curb so the home is ready for rebuild.

What’s the cleanup bill?

Over the weekend, U.S. Sen. Charles Schumer, D-New York, announced a federal disaster declaration was made for communities, including Ontario County, impacted by the severe flash flooding, which officially provides state and local municipalities with federal support needed to boost recovery efforts. The initial declaration will make critical federal funding available to support recovery and reconstruction efforts for the significant public infrastructure damage here and in downstate counties of Clinton, Dutchess, Essex, Hamilton, Orange, Putnam, and Rockland, Schumer said.

In a statement, Schumer said in part he knew "our state needed this funding, and this is a critical step on the long road to recovery from this devastating storm."

Town of Canandaigua officials have met with representatives from the Federal Emergency Management Agency, who toured the area and assessed damage. City and county officials also are working toward reimbursement of public costs related to the storm and also hopefully will be able to get individual assistance to help people impacted by the flood, Goodwin said.

The town will be applying for FEMA funding to help restore damaged infrastructure to pre-storm levels. This way local taxpayers will not be directly burdened with the expense, which Simpson estimated will end up in the several million-dollar range.

State Sen. Pam Helming, R-Canandaigua, has contacted Gov. Kathy Hochul’s office and the commissioner’s office at New York State Homes and Community Renewal to ask that emergency repair grants be made immediately available to Ontario County property owners impacted by recent flooding.

“I continue to speak with many homeowners, and with local and county officials, and know there is great need,” Helming said in a statement. “So many are doing their part in our local communities to help their neighbors, giving their time and money. Our state and federal governments have been good partners to us during this time and I’ll continue to press for the resources we need locally.”

Homeowners with damage should first contact their insurance company and document any damage and repairs due to the storm in case funding for private property owners comes through.

FLACE Canandaigua Area Flooding Assistance Recovery Fund has been created to aid in recovery efforts, and Canandaigua National Bank & Trust will match the first $10,000 raised by the community for recovery efforts.

The community is encouraged to donate to the Fund online or at area CNB branches. Distribution of the fund will be made to the United Way of Greater Rochester and the Finger Lakes, the Salvation Army, and Partnership for Ontario County.

Flood Information Center

The Flood Information Center housed at the Ontario County Chamber of Commerce for last week was scheduled to close at the end of the day Friday.

Volunteers and agencies such as the Salvation Army and United Way, as well as county and local governments, helped dozens of families with flood recovery information, resources, and practical guidance.

“Those nonprofits have been doing yeoman’s work,” Goodwin said.

What's the status of Canandaigua's parks and beaches?

Outhouse Park in the town of Canandaigua is closed and will remain closed for a while, according to Simpson, as the “Pirate Park” portion of the play area sustained quite a bit of damage.

Crews have been cleaning and working on assessing damage to the bathhouse.

Kershaw, Deep Run and Onanda beaches, which had closed temporarily after flooding, are open, but visitors who use the upland trails of Onanda Park are urged to use caution as the ground is saturated and storms come quickly.

How are Canandaigua's roads doing?

Town highway crews have been assessing roads, fixing shoulders, culverts, drainage in addition to other tasks since the storm.

If a problem has not been addressed, Simpson said to contact the highway department and they will put it on the list.

Goodwin said most of the flooding damage affected individual homes in the city, as the public infrastructure held up well.

Kudos all around

Ontario County officials are thanking the the various nonprofit partners and the extraordinary efforts of the first responders and community members throughout this flooding incident, as well as the state and out-of-town folks who came in to help.

The community organizations in and around Canandaigua have stepped up to help meet the needs of people affected by the flooding, DeBolt said.

"The good things that come out of disasters like this are true community partners and people who are willing to help come out of the woodwork, or they just become more apparent,” Goodwin said.

In a message to town residents, Simpson said: “As we move forward from this historic storm, please take time to be grateful for our wonderful Canandaigua community. We are so fortunate to live in an amazing community with even more amazing people.”

This article originally appeared on MPNnow: Canandaigua NY flood cleanup: Where things are at