Staff Report
June 26, 2009 04:00 am Heavy rain, high winds and hail struck throughout the area Thursday and led to reports of minor flooding. A line of storms moved through upstate New York on Thursday afternoon and evening, leading the National Weather Service to issue thunderstorm and flooding advisories for Chenango, Delaware and Otsego counties. By 7:45 p.m., the NWS reported 3 to 5 inches of rain in areas in and near Oneonta, Otego, Franklin and North Franklin. Otsego County Emergency Services Coordinator Lyle "Butch" Jones said at about 10 p.m. that 3 to 5 inches fell in a two-hour period. He said there were reports of downed trees and erosion from drainage ditches. He also said water was pumped from a few basements. Other damage reports, according to the NWS and law enforcement, included a mudslide on Interstate 88 between exits 12 and 13 that led to a temporary closing and flash flooding in the Otego area. There were also trees and wires reported down in several Chenango County towns, and hail reported at several Delaware and Otsego county locations. An emergency declaration and travel advisory were issued in the town of Otego, effective at 7 p.m. Thursday, Jones said, and are expected to last for about 24 hours. The storm had largely passed through the area by 8 p.m. Thursday, though the three-county area remained under a flash-flood warning until 10 p.m. because of the threat of urban and small-stream flooding, the weather service said. The storm comes nearly three years after the beginning of the deadly Flood of 2006.
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