2:30am Wednesday, 8/31/11: Watershed Post correspondent Jessica Vecchione interviewed flood victims and responders in Fleischmanns on Monday, and filed the above report.
At the press conference in Margaretville on Tuesday, Susan McIntyre, Delaware County’s Solid Waste Coordinator, announced that the county has set up two staging areas for Middletown residents to dump their flood debris. One is in Fleischmanns, at the intersection of State Highway 28 and Main Street. The sites will open on Wednesday from 7am-5pm, and likely remain open daily for the next few days. For people who use garage pick-up services, the county will waive tipping fees for flood debris for the next two weeks.
The things that can be tossed are: C & D (construction debris), scrap metal, tires, TV sets, monitors, flooring, furniture,freon containing appliances including refrigerators, freezers, and air conditioners, hazardous materials such as paints and pesticides.
Rich Bell, Director of Delaware County Emergency Services, announced that there are now feeding stations at the fire halls in Margaretville and Fleischmanns for flood victims that can feed up to 1,000 people. The county wants to set up a service center to provide flood victims with information on how to get the help they need.
Photos of Fleischmanns and general info today an anonymous correspondent:
Although we have all pulled together, there is a lot to be done, but what comes first?
As of Saturday, September 3, the Belleayre Conservatory will be hosting a concert for Disaster Relief with Bela Fleck and the Flecktones donating all proceeds to Margaretville, Fleischmanns, Arkville and Phoenicia. Please come and join your neighbors in this memorable concert. To purchase tickets, call 845-254-5600 ext. 1344 or go to www.belleayremusic.org.
And, believe it or not, Fleischmanns Market on Main will be back this Sunday from 10:00 – 2:00. Sonny Somelofski, one of our faithful vendors, donated all his produce from Sunday’s Market before Hurricane Irene forced us to cancel. Sonny, you’re quite a hero. And, Sonny will be selling his produce every day at Casey Joe’s, except for Sundays when he’ll be back in Fleischmanns.
For those who have immediate needs, here is a list of resources.
• Community Church o Breakfast, lunch and dinner served beginning Tuesday evening and continuing as needed and as resources are available o Distribution center for food, clothing, and supplies o Hospitality center
• Medicine prescription assistance-Margaretville fire House 3rd floor 586-6288
• Delaware County Office of Aging is coordinating the human services for all ages, including housing, health, and social services. Will be at the Community Church on Thursday.
• MARK Project is also coordinating housing assistance for displaced people.
• Delaware County Emergency Management Response Agency is coordinating the on- going recovery effort.Now for those who would like to help.
• Donate $ for flood relief to Mark Project designated for Fleischmanns
•Make food, clothing and supplies donations at the Community church
•Volunteer your time8am Wednesday at Community Church for work projects
Remove mud from basements, walkways and porches
Sort debris at village temporary collection at east end of town
Staff the hospitality center at the Church in shifts from 8am to 6pm
Assist with food/clothing/etc distribution at the Community churchOther projects also going on this week: • CVS has donated money to help those with prescriptions and are coming tomorrow (Weds) to the hospital with a mobile van.
More from Judy Sugar, who was on Wagner Avenue in Fleischmanns when the storm struck:
I enclose the photos after the flood. Thanx to Binghampton FD for help. Our own FD abandoned those of us on Wagner Ave. We had no information before or after or even now. The emergency response of Delaware county has got to be improved. Now its annoying (I heard from someone on the street not to drink the water and that there might be a food truck in town) but yesterday it was terrifying. I called the county, and state police and could reach no one. I emailed the few officers that had email ( I guess Sunday ??), eventually 911 told us to stop calling. Nothing. My neighbor had a boat from I believe the fire dept at 7 pm. She said she had been calling since morning and she did not need them any longer. They stalled & ran the boat into a tree and then drove past us as we stood on the porch.
We had neighbors who were sleeping across the street from where our town siren could have gone off. The only pple who left were smart ones who left without any assistance. I asked for help evacuating from a volunteer and he would not help and left. My neighbor's friend in Clovesville felt she was having a heart attack and 911 told she was on her own. I called our village office and left a message--no one replied. I realized that we were alone and had to hope and evacuate to the second floor. I wish there had been some way of getting some information before or after this disaster. At this point we can not find out about the roads either. There are also bear tracks in the mud and crayfish and lobsters left behind. Our ballpark and both bridges are washed out.
Sugar enclosed a pretty disturbing photo of bear tracks in the mud:
Sugar also enclosed a video of being trapped on Wagner Avenue, which you can see at the bottom of this post.
5:45pm, Sunday, 8/28/11: Judy Sugar, who was trapped in a house on Wagner Avenue in Fleischmanns this afternoon, send us photos and video. Her report:
We are trapped on 91 Wagner ave, Fleischmanns where the avenue is the fricken missisipi!Cars swept away at 25mph propane/ oil taanks stairs to the house gone.We have seen no one here since 7am when the volunteer told us to drive just b4 the car carried away. Worries bout others in Fleischmanns.(??) Smell gas and subur prp says dial 911
Email: IT IS FLOODING LIKE NOTHING EVER SEEN IN FLEISCHMANNS. IT ALMOST SEEMS THAT NO ONE KNOWS WHAT IS GOING ON HERE. WE ARE STRANDED AND THE STREET IS A VAST RIVER WASHING CARS DOWN AND DEBRIS AT 25 MPH. WE HAVE SEEN NO ONE SINCE 7 AM WHEN A VOLUNTEER TOLD US TO GET IN OUR CAR FIFTEEN MINUTES BEFORE IT WAS CARRIED AWAY DOWN WAGNER. CARS WASHING INTO THE HOUSE TABLES OIL AND PROPANE TANKS. SUBURBAN PROPANE SAYS DIAL 911 WHEN WE ASKED FOR HELP SMELLING GAS. ENCLOSED PHOTOS-JUDY SUGAR"
1pm: First photos of flooding coming out of Fleischmanns, thanks to Winifred Zubin, who has posted an entire album on Google. One photo is of a car completely submerged by floodwaters on Upper Wagner Bridge at 9am:
Another photo is reportedly of the Valkarian Motel floating in Vly Creek:
11:00am: Evacuations are underway in the village as of Sunday morning. We hear that swiftwater boats have been called in, and are having trouble responding.
Mary Hoag posts on Facebook, 11:00am:
Total Caios Fleichmanns fire hall and village flooded can't get in or out
From a reader report on our liveblog, 9:23am:
Del. County 911 Looking for *any* swift water rescue/tech rescue to report to Fleischmanns
8:45am: Just heard on the Delaware County 911 scanner that the village of Fleischmanns in Delaware County is being evacuated. We received a report about an hour ago that people were trapped by floodwaters on Wagner Avenue as well.
What do you see? Email photos and videos updates to editor@watershedpost.com, submit updates to our liveblog, or message us on Facebook.
Below: Video of being trapped in floodwaters on Wagner Avenue by Judy Sugar.
