Officials Say Small NY Dam Could Fail Because Of Rains

HANCOCK, N.Y. (AP) — Officials are warning that recent heavy rains have taken a toll on a small dam in New York's Southern Tier, and they've declared a state of emergency at the dam.

Hancock Town Supervisor W. Jerry Vernold says in a proclamation issued Monday that the rain has caused "a potential dam failure" at the Bear Brook Road dam, and no authorized people should be around it.

WBNG-TV reports that the dam isn't in immediate danger of collapsing, but parts have been weakened by the weather. The TV station says a handful of homes and a couple of municipal buildings are in the potential flood area.

The dam is at a former town reservoir but is now privately owned. It's about 45 miles southeast of Binghamton, near the Pennsylvania border.

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Information from: WBNG-TV, http://www.wbng.com