Utica Mayor Addressing Damage Caused By Recent Storm

Utica, NY (WIBX) - Utica Mayor David Roefaro is dealing with two back-to-back emergencies brought along by the recent storm that hit the area. Roefaro says the storm left a trail of destruction behind that require his immediate attention. His first stop was on the 2300 block of Genesee street, behind Dr. Cheron's Office, to survey the damage that caused some early morning flooding for some office workers and area residents.

Roefaro said, "We had so much debris that washed down from the very top of this Halleck's Ravine here, and that's what created the plugging of our in-lap for the water exit system for the sewers, and as you can see, the water runs right pass this driveway right here and it runs right into Genesee street and ends up at the lowest point, which is Roosevelt Drive."

The mayor says there was no choice but to bring in heavy equipment to widen the creek and provide some relief to the dam. Construction workers with Central New York Construction Company based in Barneveld, are creating a 6-foot retention pond on the upper portion of the dam to stop all the storm debris from rushing into the culvert. As Roefaro left the scene he says his next stop will be at 429 Brody Drive in North Utica, to survey more damage brought on by the storm. Roefaro says he plans on billing FEMA for all the storm damage.