Cuomo declares disaster emergency in Moriah

MORIAH, N.Y. (AP) — Gov. Andrew Cuomo took a brief tour of a collapsed bridge in the Adirondacks and declared a disaster emergency Friday in the surrounding county hard-hit by flooding.

Cuomo flew by helicopter to the Essex County town of Moriah to get a look at the damage and discuss recovery efforts with local officials.

About 45 roads across the county remained closed, down from more than 70. Two bridges collapsed and several roads were washed out as the region got 4 inches of rain over three days.

Officials estimate the damage in Moriah at more than $1.5 million. The estimate of damage to county roads and bridges is about $2 million.

The governor's disaster declaration means state agencies will assist in recovery work and expedite permits for emergency repairs.

Another 20 roads were closed in Warren County, just south of Essex. Communities along the upper Hudson River in the Adirondack and farther south in Saratoga County were experiencing some flooding. Road closings caused by flooding were also reported in Herkimer, Oneida, Lewis and Broome counties in central New York.

A stretch of breakdown lane washed out on Interstate 81, closing the highway southbound between exits 7 and 6, north of Binghamton. Traffic was diverted onto Route11.

About 10,000 customers remained without power midday Friday. Most of the outages — around 8,500 — were in neighboring Niagara and Orleans counties, where winds gusted between 50 and 80 mph on Thursday.