HIGHLAND FALLS — The state Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Services issued a flash flood emergency for Orange, Putnam, Rockland and Westchester counties on Sunday as heavy downpours and sustained rainfall washed out roadways and caused at least one death, authorities said.
Orange County appeared to be hit the hardest. County Executive Steve Neuhaus, speaking by phone from the village of Highland Falls along the Hudson River near West Point, called the scene “an absolute war zone” on Sunday night. Flooded roadways were preventing emergency rescue personnel from responding to calls in a timely fashion. He said that rescuers had found the remains of a young girl that evening.
“It’s a tough situation — lots of people are trying to fight their way in to help us,” he said, adding that State Police, the Orange County sheriff’s office, and the state Department of Transportation were all on the scene or in transit.
The damage was “massive,” Neuhaus said. He predicted repair work would take months and that many flooded houses in Highland Falls would be condemned.
The fast-falling rain caused flash flooding throughout the lower and mid-Hudson Valley but particularly affected parts of Orange, Rockland, Putnam and southern Dutchess counties, closing and collapsing some roadways and prompting emergency water rescue calls. Real-time weather maps showed more than 4 inches of rain had fallen in Beacon as of 8:55 p.m.
The rain appeared to cause widespread damage to…
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