Rains cause flooding in NY's Mohawk Valley

HERKIMER -- Severe flooding caused by the spring and early summer's persistent rains damaged houses, closed roads and forced people to flee their homes yesterday in New York's Mohawk Valley.

Heavy rains Thursday and into early yesterday caused the Mohawk River to overflow its banks where it traverses the southern end of Herkimer County, 60 miles east of Syracuse. At Little Falls, the river reached more than 3 feet above flood stage late Friday morning before receding, according to the National Weather Service.

Meanwhile, sections of the New York State Thruway, the state's main east-west highway, were surrounded by flooding though police said the roadway remained open. The flooding also forced state officials to hold off on reopening a section of the Erie Canal that had been closed by previous high water. Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo said during a late-afternoon briefing that there was damage along a 100-mile stretch of the canal.

"We don't believe there's been any loss of life so far but it is a dangerous situation," said Cuomo, who declared a state of emergency in several upstate counties.

Greg Erhardt lives with his 86-year-old father near the river in Fort Plain and he said the flooding was the worst the pair had ever seen.

"His cellar filled right up," said the younger Erhardt, 64. "Upstairs is livable but we don't know yet about the electric."

The heavy rains also pushed streams over their banks in the Adirondacks and caused flooding as far south as Chenango County, north of Binghamton. In northern New York, there were reports of road closures in Essex County as the East Branch of the AuSable River spilled over.