July 28-29 saw heavy rain inundate large swaths of upstate New York to varying degrees. The Capital Region and Hudson Valley were perhaps the hardest hit with several communities declaring states of emergency, forcing road closures, water rescues, and in at least one case, claiming the life of a beloved community member.
On July 28, Rensselaer County saw nearly 12 inches of rain fall causing damage that exceeded that of Hurricane Irene in 2011. Schodack set a new state record for precipitation. Residents in the Town of Colonie had to be rescued. Amtrak suspended service on its Hudson River Line between Rensselaer and Penn Station in New York City until the afternoon of the next day, waiting for waters to recede and debris to be cleared from off tracks.
In Amsterdam, NY, roads were flooded resulting in erosion, washouts and damage to infrastructure. Monroe County declared a State of Emergency. Flash flooding caused a stretch of West Main Street near the train station to be closed.
In Guilderland, a family narrowly escaped their car after attempting to drive on a flooded roadway.
In Saratoga, events were cancelled at the Saratoga Race Course due to the heavy rain and flooding.
In Putnum County, a family in the hamlet of Phillipstown had to be rescued from their home due to severe flooding. Members of the North Highlands Fire Department utilized a front-end loader to safely extricate the family.
Sullivan County received approximately 3-6 inches of rain triggering widespread flooding prompting road closures and emergency response operations. The Town of Rockland’s emergency response team evacuated five people from homes in Livingston Manor. The Delaware River height was 6.97 feet high and flowed at 10,400 cubic feet per second. The Willowemoc Creek rose to 10 feet. Flooding in the hamlets of Roscoe, Livingston Manor, and the Village of Liberty prompted road closures. Local fire departments spent the aftermath of the storm helping residents pump out flooded basements and crawl spaces. Livingston Manor, which is prone to flooding, was awarded a $4.7 million grant earlier this year from the NYS Department of Environmental Conservation to study flooding in the community.
Tragically, Jesus Arroyo Ortega, a resident of Livingston Manor, lost his life during the flooding. A farmer in Callicoon who was checking on his barn noticed what was later identified as Ortega’s pickup truck in the North Branch Creek and alerted authorities. State Police and local fire departments responded to the scene and discovered that Ortega had sadly passed before they could get to him. It was determined that Ortega had hit a utility pole sometime during the early morning hours with the truck falling into the creek where it was washed 200 yards downstream and became lodged in the streambank. Ortega was the head chef at the popular Peppino’s Restaurant located on Main Street in Callicoon. He leaves behind his wife Judy, who is the manager of the Callicoon Caffe.
The loss of life notwithstanding, the impacts of this recent flooding could have been far worse. This recent flooding should be a reminder to all in the floodplain and stormwater management profession to continue to advocate for good policy and practices to limit damage and promote public safety.
References:
https://wjffradio.org/flooding-causes-road-closures-business-disruptions-across-sullivan-county/
https://spectrumlocalnews.com/nys/capital-region/weather/2026/07/29/capital-region-flash-flooding
https://www.timesunion.com/weather/article/rainfall-historic-flooding-upstate-new-york-22365318.php
https://www.news10.com/weather/more-than-15-evacuated-by-boat-during-colonie-flooding/
https://hudsonvalleypost.com/historic-storm-shatters-new-york-rainfall-record/
https://abc7ny.com/post/family-rescued-flooded-home-firefighters-using-front-end-loader-philipstown-putnam-county/19596682/
https://www.mynbc5.com/article/heavy-rain-flood-albany-state-of-emergency/73298963
https://www.scdemocratonline.com/stories/storm-related-accident-claims-life-of-manor-man,245654?
https://www.scdemocratonline.com/stories/flooded,245626?