It’s been two-years since many lives were changed in the Mohawk Valley.
The village of Whitesboro was hit hard by a Halloween-night storm.
What You Need To Know
- It’s been two years since an event changed many lives in the Mohawk Valley
- The village of Whitesboro was hit hard by a Halloween night storm
- Some people haven’t been able to live in their homes since
Some people haven’t been able to live in their homes since, and some affected residents are still pushing for help.
“It’s horrifying to even think back to that day,” said Tammy Patterson of Whitesboro. “It was a horrible day. It was raining all day practically, and we were sitting on the couch just waiting to hear if we were going to be evacuated or not, and watching the creek, and before we knew it the water was here.”
The water rose over Patterson’s fence. She says her husband had to be taken away from the home in a canoe.
“It was coming from every way, and before we knew the water was up to here,” she said.
The Patterson’s lived in the home for 32 years.
“I raised my daughter here,” Patterson said. “We had it all set for retirement. We didn’t have to do anything. We fixed everything up and all our plans got changed.”
Patterson says flooding had never been an issue until 2011.
“The sump pump never even came on,” Patterson said.
The Patterson’s are no longer able to enter their home, and are renting elsewhere, but still have to pay taxes on the property.
“It’s very hard,” Patterson said. “I hardly ever come back. It’s just too painful.”
The Patterson’s house hasn’t sat still since the storm.
“You can see on the side of the house how much in two years it has even gone in more, the foundation, how much it’s broke away,” she said.
The Patterson’s haven’t sat still either. They’re part of the Whitesboro Water Warriors, who support each other and advocate for a buyout.
“My feeling is it’s going happen again, and I’d hate to see everybody go through this again,” she said.
Ron Loubier is a co-founder of the Whitesboro Water Warriors. He says the Natural Resources Conservation Service has said they’re working on appraisals, with offers expected to come out at the end of the year or early next year. The more neighbors on-board, the more likely the buyout will happen.
“It’s up to the homeowners now,” Loubier said. “It’s up to the community. If they accept the offers then they can get out. If they don’t then it may hurt your neighbor.”
In the meantime, Patterson and many others are just waiting and hoping for some relief.
“It’s going to be a lifetime anxiety because even when we get downpours now I still get anxious,” Patterson said.
Flood mitigation efforts have been continuing to help prevent future flooding.
