Sunday Flood Update: Water still rising in Tupper Lake, paddler believed drowned on Black River

UPDATE 10:16am: St. Lawrence County Emergency Services director Marty Hassett says the company that operates the dams on the Raquette, Brookfield Power, expects levels at the Piercefield dam to peak today.  He says the water is still rising there, but holding steady on Carry Falls reservoir downriver.  According to Hassett, Brookfield maintains “there are absolutely no structural concerns.”  The county is monitoring the Higley area of Colton, and the villages of Potsdam and Norwood carefully.  Hassett says no additional serious flooding has been reported and his biggest concern is “fatigue of area fire departments”.

Much of the immediate concern this morning shifts to Tupper Lake, where the community now has more than 40 homes underwater and the Raquette River continues to rise.

Franklin County Emergency Services director Rick Provost says Rt 3 between Saranac Lake and Tupper Lake remains a major concern this morning.

Because of difficulties transporting medical patients, some people may be taken to the hospital in Potsdam if emergencies arise.

Meanwhile, Provost said, total damage in Franklin County is now estimated at $9 million.  Essex County officials have placed the damage in their communities at more than $10 million.

These numbers matter because $25 million is the threshhold for Federal disaster assistance.  It now appears very likely that we’ll hit that numbers.

In Saranac Lake, village manager John Sweeney said they have seen structural damage, including a hairline fracture, to some of the community’s bridges.  A full assessment won’t be possible until the water goes down.

SL village fire chief Brendan Keough says it may be mid-week or later before families evacuated from swamped homes can return.

In the town of Dexter, meanwhile, emergency crews say one paddler likely drowned on Saturday while canoing on the swollen Black River.  This from the Watertown Daily Times.

Emergency workers expressed frustration over a death they said could have been prevented. On the last day of the wettest April the region has seen in more than six decades, the Black River’s danger was well publicized.

State and local officials are urging hikers and paddlers to stay out of the Adirondack-North Country region until flooding conditions subside.  Travelers should also expect detours and delays in many parts of the region because of flooded roads.

In other news, the National Weather Service is reporting that April was the wettest month on record for the Champlain Valley.  With 7.88 inches of rain falling, that beats the last all-time record (set in the 1980s) by nearly an inch and a half.

An astonishing 2.74 inches of rain fell on April 26th.  At this hour, Lake Champlain at Rouses Point remains more than two feet above flood stage.

Finally, while we have a gorgeous day today, the Weather Service is predicting rain through much of the week.  With most lakes and rivers still gorged, and the ground saturated, its unclear how that will affect the crisis going forward.

Join NCPR tomorrow during Morning Edition and the 8 O’clock Hour for updates and full reports from many of our flood-stricken communities.

Tags: flooding