Storm causes flooding in Canajoharie
More severe weather possible todayBy MIKE ZUMMO, The Leader-Herald
CANAJOHARIE -Severe thunderstorms caused some flooding along the Mohawk River on Wednesday and knocked out power in the region, as some areas had more than an inch of rain.
Patrick Stella, a spokesman for National Grid, said about 2,100 customers lost power in the area between about 2:30 and 6:30 p.m. due to lightning. The largest concentration of people affected, he said, was about 1,900 customers who lost power after a downed tree knocked down power lines on County Route 110.
Canajoharie took a pounding from Wednesday's storms, although the effects weren't nearly as severe as the flooding that struck the area at this time of year in 2006.
Fire Chief Frank Nestle said his department had to pump out 30 basements, but there also was severe flooding on Church Street and Little Mohawk Street, which he described as a "man-made river going down the road." Nestle said numerous streets on the west side of the village also had severe flooding.
"The biggest thing is the amount of rainfall we got in that short a time," he said. "No infrastructure is going to handle that. A lot of [the flooding] was because the storm drains couldn't handle it any more."
Flooding broke a window at the United Methodist Church and caused the basement to fill up with water. Nestle, who also works at Richardson Brands, said flooding caused the main steam feed from Hero/Beech-Nut in the candymaker's south building to break. He said today Richardson was up and running.
National Weather Service Meteorologist Bob Kilpatrick said the amount of rainfall varied widely, with some areas in Montgomery County getting more than 1 1/2 inches and other areas less than a quarter-inch. He estimated, from looking at the radar, that the village got about an inch of rain. He received a report from Palatine Bridge, which he said had a little less than an inch of rain.
Kilpatrick said the forecast for today called for more showers and thunderstorms. A flash flood watch has been issued for Fulton, Montgomery and Hamilton counties until 6 a.m. Thursday.
"It would not be surprising if another severe thunderstorm watch came out later today," he said. "That would probably not come out until late morning or early afternoon."
Fulton County Director of Civil Defense Allan Polmateer said he had received reports of some high creeks due to the rain, and the Broadalbin-Kenyetto Volunteer Fire Company was called to put out fires caused by trees falling on wires.
The Gloversville Fire Department said it didn't receive any major alarms during Tuesday's storm.
Mike Zummo covers Montgomery County news. He can be reached by e-mail at montco@leaderherald.com
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resident69
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07-01-09 6:19 PM
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...and this is why Beechnut wants to move!
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