UPDATE ON JULY 9th STORM EVENT
FROM THE DESK OF SUPERVISOR JARED SIMPSON
UPDATE ON JULY 9 STORM EVENT
As we continue to clean up after the July 9 storm, I wanted to provide you with a brief update on operations since the event. Our thoughts go out to those impacted and displaced by the storm. Mother nature is fierce, and we are so easily humbled by the weather around us. Before sharing the update, I want to thank our dedicated Town staff for stepping up and going above and beyond during the storm and subsequent flooding. Town Manager Doug Finch, Highway Superintendent Jim Fletcher, Town Clerk Jean Chrisman, and the Cheshire Volunteer Fire Department were all on hand until the early hours of Monday morning keeping the roads safe, evacuating individuals, and providing emergency shelter for those evacuated residents. I would also like to thank County Administrator Chris DeBolt, Deputy Administrator Alissa Bub, and the Ontario County Sheriff Dave Cirencione for their assistance.
As I was travelling the roads in the north end of Town, trying to keep people away from the most dangerous areas, I was in constant contact with Mr. DeBolt and Sheriff Cirencione. The question I heard over and over was, what do you need. They called in crews and came in themselves to assist our residents in need and to divert residents from dangerous roadways. They did all of this while still monitoring a concert at CMAC with over 14,000 people. Ontario County and the Town of Victor provided us with extra code enforcement, and Bristol Town Supervisor Bob Greene was with us all Sunday evening as we assessed damage and created a plan to move forward. Late Sunday evening as we were trying to move residents to their temporary housing, a phone call to Canandaigua City School Superintendent Jamie Farr got us a bus and driver in no time. Thank you, Chris Bliss, for getting there so quickly and waiting patiently while we solidified arrangements. Additionally, we had residents step up to help their neighbors, diverting water, emptying basements, and keeping the roads safe. While I cannot name everyone who helped, a simple thank you is not enough for all those who stepped up during this crisis.
Here is our current situation:
- Outhouse Park is still closed and will remain closed for a while. The “Pirate Park” portion of Outhouse took quite a bit of damage. Crews have been cleaning and working on assessing damage to the bathhouse.
- All other parks and beaches are open. However, please use caution on the Upland Trails of Onanda. We have had too many rescues there over the past few weeks. The ground is saturated, storms come quickly. Be aware of your surroundings and please be careful.
- Our Highway Department has been working constantly since the storm assessing roads, fixing shoulders, culverts, drainage and everything else. If you see a problem that has not been addressed, please contact our highway Department and they will get it on the list.
- Earlier this week we met with representatives from FEMA. They toured the area with our Highway Superintendent and assessed the damage. We will be applying for FEMA funding to help restore our damaged infrastructure to pre-storm levels. This way our local taxpayers will not be directly burdened with the expense which will end up in the several million-dollar range.
- Homeowners with damage should first contact their insurance company. You should also document any damage and repairs due to the storm in case funding for private property owners comes through. This is a long shot, but we will try our best to secure any funding that we can.
- If you would like to donate to help those impacted by the flooding. You can make a tax-deductible donation at any Canandaigua National Bank branch office. Just mention the Canandaigua Area Flooding Event. That money will then be distributed by our not-for-profit partners in the community.
- If you have individual damage and need help navigating your next steps, there is a community resource desk open at the Ontario County Chamber of Commerce, 113 South Main Street. Our area non-profit organizations will be there to help guide you through the processes.
As we move forward from this historic storm, please take time to be grateful for our wonderful Canandaigua community. We are so fortunate to live in an amazing community with even more amazing people. I am so humbled to serve you each day as your Town Supervisor.
Sincerely,
Jared