Oneida County Emergency Response Team Averts Ice Jam Flooding

Oneida County Executive Anthony Picente says the efforts of an emergency response team assembled by the County to monitor and respond to ice jams in area waterways helped avert flooding.

An emergency response center was set up at the Oneida County 911 Center to coordinate a team of local and state officials.

Heavy equipment was staged along known flooding locations over the weekend in order to prepare for potential flooding caused by ice jams.

Picente says crews worked throughout the day Monday and into this morning breaking up ice in the Sauquoit Creek in the vicinity of the CSX Bridge in Whitesboro.

And no ice jams or water flow issues were found by the emergency response team in Fish Creek.

"The diligent efforts of our emergency response team and the hard work put in by crews to break up any troublesome ice has thankfully averted any serious flooding or damage to the homes and businesses that lie in known danger zones," said  Picente. "I want to thank everyone involved for their vigilance and dedication, especially Gov. Cuomo for deploying resources to assist us in staying on top of this matter. While we appear to be out of the woods for now, we will continue to closely monitor the situation, and employ the same methods the next time such an issue arises."