Local officials, dispatchers and emergency responders were “up
to here” in calls due to the wintry weather and subsequent flooding
throughout McKean, Potter and Cattaraugus (N.Y.) counties on
Thursday.

The rain started Wednesday morning and never let up, turning to
freezing rain overnight and then to snow on Thursday. As a result,
several road closures, motor-vehicle accidents and incidents of
flooding were reported on Thursday.

Neighboring Potter County seemed to get hit the hardest, with
the county Emergency Management Agency activating the emergency
operations center (EOC) at 6 a.m. Thursday, evacuating several
families from their homes and canceling school in at least one
municipality, according to Potter County Emergency Management
Agency Coordinator James Steiner.

Flooding had occurred in Genesee Township, in the area of Route
244 and Commercial Street, causing the evacuation of several
families to the Genesee Volunteer Fire Department station,
according to a press release from the Potter County EMA.

Genesee Township also reported a break in the water system,
which caused the township to be without water service for a period
of time.

At 8:56 a.m., the Genesee Township supervisors declared a state
of emergency, the press release said, and officials at the EOC
contacted the Pennsylvania EMA on the matter.

Areas affected by flooding in Potter County at the time of the
press release included Route 44 in Sharon Township, from Clara Road
to the Wild Cat Road (which was closed), along with Canada Hollow
and Eleven Mile Road in Millport. Sunnyside Road, just off Oswayo
Street, in Shinglehouse Borough, was closed and one residence in
that area was evacuated. Low Street in Shinglehouse was also closed
and one residence there was evacuated by boat. The intersection off
Main Street and Fishing Creek Road was closed, along with the West
Branch of Fishing Creek. Several secondary roads have also been
closed throughout the county.

The Potter County EMA urges any resident whose property
sustained damage to contact their local municipal government. The
EOC was deactivated at 4:30 p.m. Thursday, but shelters remained
open in Shinglehouse and Roulette. Families displaced by the floods
were either back in their homes or with relatives at that time.

The areas that were without water -ðabout half of Genesee
Township – have made some accord with their local fire department
to provide drinking water until repairs can be made, Steiner said.
Roulette has experienced several road closures, he added, and the
firehall is set up as a shelter, but as of Thursday afternoon, it
was not in use.

“We’re currently in the process of gathering damage estimates
from the township supervisors,” Steiner said, adding he was hoping
to have preliminary totals by the end of the work day to submit to
the state.

Steiner, who said he has been at his position less than two
weeks, told The Era the agency’s annual weather exercise was
planned for Thursday, but had to be canceled due to the actual bad
weather.

As if that weren’t enough bad news, forecasts are calling for
four to eight inches of snow to fall in the area by tonight.
According to the National Weather Service Web site, Elk, Cameron,
McKean and Potter counties, among others, are under both a
hazardous weather outlook and winter storm warning.

Today through Wednesday, “a storm will rapidly strengthen and
track northward along the Eastern Seaboard (today and tonight)
bringing the potential for accumulating snowfall,” the Web site
said. Some forecasts are calling for two to five inches of snow by
tonight, and others, four to eight inches.

The winter storm warning is in effect from 6 a.m. today to 8
a.m. Saturday. A winter storm warning means significant amounts of
snow or ice are expected or occurring. Travel is strongly
discouraged, and those who cannot avoid traveling are encouraged to
carry extras supplies, including blankets, food and a cellular
telephone.