Flash Flood in Otsego County, New York

Widespread heavy rain moved through Otsego County and upstate New York during the day Monday with more heavy rain Monday night and Tuesday morning. This rainfall saturated the soils before another more widespread area of heavy rainfall occurred Tuesday afternoon and night. Tropical moisture combined with a slow-moving front and low pressure system moving up the eastern seaboard to bring extreme rainfall to Otsego County. The serious flash flooding began in Otsego County during the afternoon of Tuesday the 27th and continued until Wednesday afternoon as a total of 6 to 12 inches of rain fell by Wednesday the 28th. The highest rainfall was near Unadilla where the Susquehanna River reached record levels. No one was killed from the floods in Otsego County. A state of emergency was declared Tuesday afternoon as all roads were closed. The sewer plant in Oneonta was flooded sending raw sewage into the Susquehanna River. Hardest hit areas were Leonardsville, Cooperstown, Hartwick, Bridgewater and Oneonta. Route 20 was under nearly three feet of water in East Winfield. Total damage is estimated at 50 million dollars. This was described as the worst flooding in at least 45 years. A total of 75 roads were flooded in the county.