FORT PLAIN - The flooded Otsquago Creek began receding early Monday, but not before it swept away two garages and filled basements with dirty brown water that destroyed water heaters and furnaces. Residents along Reid and Abbott Streets were shovelling mud, throwing out soggy possessions and assessing damage after a night of severe rains filled the creek beyond its capacity.
Scott Wolfkiel, a homeowner on Reid Street, had a shed washed away in the flood waters.
"It was fast," he said, speaking of how quickly the waters rose. The shed behind his home, he said, was washed away along with "30 or 40 feet" of the backyard. The flood left an uprooted tree and a jagged six-foot-high cliff where the shed used to stand.
Wolfkiel, who did auto body work in the shed, lost "several thousand of dollars worth of parts," he said, and in his basement, a furnace and a water heater were damaged beyond repair.
The Otsquago Creek flooded in 2006 after torrential rains brought extensive flood damage to the region, hitting communities along the Mohawk River especially hard.
Wolfkiel said the damage to his property in this week's flood was "10 times as bad as 2006."
His neighbor, Jack Lewis, also was affected. A garage behind his home washed down the creek at the height of the flood, and only engine parts and bits of the structure's frame were left behind. A side section of the garage came to rest on Wolfkiel's driveway. Thirty feet of yard was missing.
"The firefighters said the roof ended up in the Mohawk at the Canajoharie lock," Lewis said.
The Montgomery County Sheriff's Department declared a state of emergency and issued an evacuation order Sunday night.
The Wolfkiel and Lewis families weathered the storm with neighbors on the other side of Reid Street, which did not flood.
No injuries were reported.
Lewis said after the 2006 flooding, rocks were installed along the bank of the creek.
He said that erosion barrier was swept away Monday. Wolfkiel said the water that flowed along the natural curve of the stream tended to hit the banks of the creek on their side particularly hard.
The National Weather Service issued a flood watch for the region that lasted through the day. Additional rain fell throughout the day, but no new flooding was reported.
The forecast for tonight, Wednesday and Thursday calls for a chance of additional light rain, and the skies are expected to become clearer by the weekend, according to the weather service.
Edward J. Hunt can be reached at ruralnews@leaderherald.com.
