fun times in the village!

Cooperstown in state of emergency for nearly 24 hours
Wednesday, Jun 28, 2006

By Elizabeth Cooper
Observer-Dispatch

COOPERSTOWN - The village has been operating under a state of emergency for nearly 24 hours in response to heavy rain that has caused flooding throughout the region.

Village Mayor Carol Waller said she declared a state of emergency at 1:47 p.m. Tuesday, after she learned four 10,000-gallon oil tanks belonging to a local business were tipping over because the soil underneath had eroded away.

"When I saw that, that's when I decided to call a state of emergency," she said Wednesday morning as she sat with the members of the Cooperstown Volunteer Fire Department.

Many of those firefighters had worked straight through the night to pump out basements.

"We've being trying to get some to go home and get an hour or two of rest and then come back," said Fire Chief Jim Tallman.

Tallman said his department has been taking calls since 11:45 a.m. Tuesday to pumping out flooded basements around his 100-square-mile district. Tallman also said firefighters had to make two rescues as a result of mudslides.

Otsego town Supervisor Tom Breiten said there was widespread flooding in the Fly Creek Valley, where many roads were washed out.

"Fly Creek looks like Fly Lake," he said.

Waller said several tourists had been sent to the Clark Sport Center because they could not get to the places they were staying.