Heavy rain has led to intense flooding throughout the state. Here's the latest news and information related to the storm.
One saved from flooded home, three from submerged vehicle in Steuben County NY
The Swift Water Rescue Team from the Bath Volunteer Fire Department made two successful rescues Friday on a busy day for first responders across the region.
The team was deployed to southern Steuben County, which was hit hard by flash flooding as the remnants of Tropical Storm Debby dumped several inches of rain on the area Friday morning.
Bath's Swift Water Rescue Team rescued a person trapped in their house in the town of Jasper near state Route 36 and county Route 21, the department reported Friday night.
The individual was successfully removed from the flooded home and was taken to safety.
The rescue team also made a save in the Canisteo area on county Route 119 near the county Route 14 intersection.
"Three people were on top of their submerged pickup truck but managed to get to the bank along county Route 119 where the Bath Swift Water Rescue Team were able to pick them up and take them to safety as well," said John Conrad Sr., Public Information Officer.
Severe flooding hits upstate New York: See the photos
Canandaigua officials warn of storm debris while boating this weekend
Because of the heavy rainfall on Friday, Ontario County Sheriff David Cirencione is urging boaters to use caution on Canandaigua Lake.
Heavy debris carried into the lake can create navigational hazards, and crews are working to remove large floating items, Cirencione said.
The good news, the Canandaigua Lake Watershed Association noted Friday, is that there has been a decrease in the amount of harmful algal bloom activity on the lake.In fact, there have been no confirmed blooms since Aug. 3.
But, Watershed Association officials said, flooding is being experienced in some areas related to Tropical Storm Debby.
Watershed staff on Friday were checking sites for impacts from the rain.
In anticipation of the watershed-wide rain associated with the tropical storm, the Canandaigua Water Resource Recovery Facility opened both outlet gates and the feeder canal gate on Thursday morning. The lake level as of Friday afternoon was 688.33 feet, and the desired level is 688.50 feet.
People are urged to avoid wading or swimming in water that has an odor, is cloudy or discolored.
― Mike Murphy
Dramatic video captures flooding in upstate NY
Naples: 'It was like a monsoon'
Like many people in Naples and elsewhere in Ontario County, Sally Gardner received the flood watch alerts.
Naples Creek travels several hundred feet behind her East Avenue home, so she was prepared for the worst when she woke up at 6 a.m. Friday.
And as the morning progressed, “it was like a monsoon coming down,” Gardner said.
By the time the rain diminished and sun started to peek out early Friday afternoon, however, Naples Creek had “burst its banks,” flooding hers and several neighbors’ backyards. She estimated it was a foot deep in one of the spots.
Elsewhere in Naples, a torrent of water carrying debris tumbled from waterfalls through Grimes Glen Park toward the village. Similar torrents of water plummeted down hills toward the Naples hamlet of Woodville, leaving debris alongside and on state Route 21 heading into the village.
Closer to Gardner, brown creek waters rushed underneath the Ontario Street bridge in Naples Community Park.
“I was worried about the other houses,” said Gardner, shortly after checking in with neighbors. Relieved to see that many were doing fine, Gardner said to see that much water come up that quickly toward homes was startling.
“Now that I know everyone is OK down here, now it’s just kind of exciting,” Gardner said.
― Mike Murphy
Steuben County declares state of emergency, evacuates 3 communities
The Steuben County Office of Emergency Management on Friday declared a state of emergency and said residents must avoid any unnecessary travel until further notice. Several roads throughout the county are not passable. The state of emergency will remain in effect until further notice.
County officials also ordered evacuations of the hamlet of Woodhull and Village of Addison, both along Tuscarora Creek, and the hamlet of Jasper.
Flash flooding upstream has damaged property and is threatening the safety of Woodhull and Addison residents downstream, county officials said in a news release. All residents along the Tuscarora Creek between Woodhull and Addison should immediately head to higher ground.
In Jasper, the evacuation is due to leaking propane storage tanks as a result of the flash floods. All Jasper residents and people who live within a half-mile of the hamlet should evacuate the area.
A Red Cross shelter is being set up at the Corning-Painted Post High School Fieldhouse.
The Town of Greenwood also declares a town wide state of emergency prohibiting all traffic.
Flood, flash flood warnings issued for Rochester NY region
The National Weather Service in Buffalo has issued a flood warning through 6:45 p.m. Friday for Monroe, Ontario, Livingston, Wayne and Allegany counties. Forecasters said that flooding of rivers, creeks, streams, and other low-lying and flood-prone locations is imminent or underway.
The Weather Service also issued a flash flood warning for parts of Steuben and Yates counties (also Chemung and Schuyler counties) through 3:30 p.m. Friday as the areas are at risk for flash flood caused by Friday's heavy rain.
Storm impacting NY airports: Check your flight status
The large metropolitan airports in the New York City area are experiencing flight disruptions on Friday due to heavy rain and other storm-related weather.
Most arrivals and departures at the Frederick Douglass Greater Rochester International Airport continue to operate on schedule Friday morning, however several flights to and from Rochester are facing delays.
Check your flight's status before heading to the airport.
Rainy day in Canandaigua NY
Where is the heaviest rain predicted to fall in the Rochester NY region?
According to the National Weather Service in Buffalo, the area with the heaviest rain and greatest risk for flooding is east of the Genesee River.
Parts of Ontario and Allegany counties (the southeastern corners) could see between 3 to 4 inches of heavy rain on Friday that could cause some flooding and/or flash floods.
Much of the Rochester region - including most of Monroe, Wayne, Ontario, Orleans and Genesee counties - are within the zone to expect 2 to 3 inches of rain.
Here's a breakdown of how many inches of rain are expected and where:
Utility companies prepare for storm, possible outages
Rochester Gas and Electric and New York State Gas & Electric have prepared work crews and equipment in the case that heavy rain, possible winds and flooding from Debby causes power outages in the area, the companies announced in a news release.
RG&E and NYSEG have pre-staged 170 additional line crews nd another 80 tree crews across the state to help with any restoration work as needed on Friday and into the weekend. As of 6:30 a.m. Friday, no outages were yet reported by RG&E. Roughly 715 NYSEG customers were without power across the Empire state - with the bulk of those customers in Westchester County, according to the company's website.
Radar Rochester NY
Record rainfall in the South from Debby
Debby spawned several tornadoes, at least one deadly,as it brought torrential rainfall to Florida, Georgia and the Carolinas, leaving extensive flooding and overwhelmed communities in its wake. In some cases, the rain and stream levels set new records.
Debby projected rainfall
The storm made a second landfall in South Carolina on Thursday, bringing life-threatening flash flooding and is projected to bring up to 6 inches more rain to some areas over the weekend, according to the National Weather Service.
Other parts of New York, including the Finger Lakes region and central New York predict 2 to 4 inches of heavy rain on Friday, with localized rain even higher, according to the Weather Service.
Debby's impact: floods, power outages
Flash flooding triggered water rescues, overtook roads and breached several dams as winds knocked over trees and tangled power lines. The weather service warns that the risk will continue through Sunday morning in some parts of the Northeast.
Also, more than 300,000 power outages have been reportedover the past three days in these states as of Thursday morning, according toUSA TODAY's power outage database– some in Florida have been in the dark for days. Thousands are already seeing outages in Virginia.
Includes reporting by USA Today reporters Jennifer Borresen Dinah Voyles Pulver and Carlie Procell
