By Denise Richardson
Staff Writer
July 24, 2008 04:00 am Heavy rains hit Delaware County on Wednesday, raising alarms about flooding and resulting in road closures and states of emergency in Andes, Colchester and Middletown, officials said. About 20 to 30 households were evacuated from the town of Colchester, said Richard Bell, director of emergency services for Delaware County said late Wednesday night. One ambulance responded to a call but details weren't available, he said, and otherwise no one was reported missing or injured. In Otsego and Chenango counties, officials said there were no reports of road closures or flooding, and a Schoharie County sheriff's sergeant said a couple of closed roads were to be reopened late Wednesday night. However, flood watches for Otsego, Chenango and Delaware counties remain in effect until this morning, the National Weather Service in Binghamton said. Flash-flood warnings had been issued Wednesday for Otsego and parts of Delaware and Chenango counties, and officials warned motorists not to drive vehicles into areas where water covered roadways. A flood watch means there is a potential for flooding on small streams and creeks and poor drainage in low-lying areas. On Wednesday, the NWS also had issued a flood warning for Beaverkill near Cooks Falls, affecting Delaware and Sullivan counties and lasting until Friday morning. The NWS reported average rainfall of 1 to 3 inches Wednesday. Showers and possibly a thunderstorm were expected overnight Wednesday, with rainfall between a half and three-quarters of an inch possible. Scattered showers and thunderstorms are forecast for today, with a high temperature near 73 and a 50 percent chance of rain. Bell advised Delaware County motorists to drive cautiously today and to follow travel advisories. Roads in Andes, Middletown and Colchester will be re-opened when deemed safe, he said. A few isolated residences along Holiday Brook and Berry Brook roads didn't have electrical power Wednesday night, Bell said. A June 2007 storm stalled over Cat Hollow and Holiday Brook roads in Downsville, washing away four homes and destroying roads and bridges. Four people died. A command center was opened at the Downsville Fire Station after 2:30 p.m. Wednesday and it was to close at 10 p.m., officials said. Downsville First Assistant Fire Chief Michael Cazzolla said about 35 to 40 firefighters and emergency personnel made ``welfare checks'' at residences Wednesday. The crews will conduct more checks today after the center opens at 6 a.m., he said, and the flash flooding left rocks in the roadways. Cazzolla and Bell said damage along Cat Hollow Road didn't appear as bad as last year, but damage assessments would begin today. Bell said assistance was provided by the emergency operations center in the public safety building in Delhi, as well as state police and volunteer crews. The emergency operations center staff was to monitor the situation overnight, he said.
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