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“In January when the shipping season is over, do exactly what you did last winter – physically let out as much water as you can because you don’t know what’s going to happen next spring.”
By lowering the outflows from Lake Ontario, the Board hopes to make navigation in the St. Lawrence River safer and raise the water levels in Lake St. Louis.
Water levels throughout the Lake Ontario-St. Lawrence River System are expected to peak below the record-high levels seen in 2019.
Volunteers are now helping people to set up new shelters and move belongings.
The International Joint Commission says it’s doing everything it can to mitigate rising lake levels but it still might not be enough.
“We were able to contribute to lake levels being fairly stable through the month of March compared with historic records.”
It is a set of guidelines for how high and low water levels in Lake Ontario and the Saint Lawrence are allowed to get.
“You get double speak. You get half justifications for things, and we’re not getting action from them. So today, the gloves come off.”
“This is our dream home, this is our house forever, but if you have to put up with this every year, every other year, it’s not a whole lot of fun living here.”
“All the water we’re letting out will lessen the impact down the road; it doesn’t guarantee there won’t be flooding but I can guarantee there will be less of it.”
The Army Corps of Engineers reports that four of the five Great Lakes were at record-high water levels this week.
“What the dredging does is it increases the access and capacity of creeks, inlets, et cetera. And it uses the dredging material, in this situation, to increase a barrier to keep the high water from affecting the shoreline.”
The international body that helps regulate water levels on Lake Ontario and in the St. Lawrence River is forecasting a return to flood-level heights this summer.
“I’m not sure what they looked at and what they saw over the time they were here and I continually ask how much more does it take for an area that has been inundated to receive its due from the federal government.”
After Lake Ontario reached new heights in 2017, the state and many homeowners invested substantial amounts of money rebuilding the break walls and other barriers along their shorelines – only to see much of it washed away again in 2019.
“When you see a house go down a river, when you see a house hanging over an embankment…when is it enough for FEMA to say this county, this region, this state, needs our assistance?”
Lake Ontario is still high – about 246 feet high. The Lake Ontario-St. Lawrence River Board says they’re working to reduce levels as much as possible by spring.
Critics say Plan 2014 is to blame for the unprecedented water levels while others say it’s a scapegoat for the excessive rainfall in recent years, which could be related to climate change.
Top state officials say that the IJC failed to act in response to flooding in 2017 and 2019, causing New York to incur substantial and potentially avoidable damages.
63 projects along the Lake Ontario shoreline will receive $133 million in state funding. Gov. Andrew Cuomo made the announcement Wednesday during a stop at the Port of Rochester.
“This is an international entity and it is going to be a difficult case for us to make. But it is a last resort, we have tried everything else. It is a cry for help from the state of New York.”
The state is putting aside $300 million to fund resiliency projects in these communities, which have seen major flooding in recent years.
“…we’ve had catastrophic flooding on the shore of Lake Ontario two out of three years,” said Rep. John Katko (R-Camillus)
“…this evaluation is not going to happen fast enough to do anything for this year…”
There’s a possibility of more flooding on Thursday.
“Government leaders must lead by example, and businesses, farms, community organizations, and citizens can all make a difference to fight climate change.”
With Lake Ontario’s water levels about a foot above average, communities along its shoreline are trying to get help in preventing floods.
Last summer, heavy rains caused flooding across New York and Pennsylvania.Some farmers saw extensive damage to their crops. Federal help is available for some of those folks.
Fellow farmers helped Erik Landowne at Blue Heron Farm quickly harvest an onion crop before it could begin to rot.
VESTAL, NY (WSKG)— Recent heavy rains have led to flash flooding in parts of the Southern Tier and Northern Pennsylvania including in Seneca and Bradford counties.
Things appear to be calming down at a small reservoir in Hancock after a State of Emergency was declared on Monday.