Flood, Steuben
- When
- January 6, 12:00 PM EST to January 12, 6:00 PM EST
- Where
- Steuben forecast zone
- Property damage
- $20,000
- Coordinates
- 42.268, -77.384 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
The combination of rapid snowmelt from well above normal temperatures and periodic heavy rain propelled minor to moderate flooding along the Susquehanna and Chemung river basins in central New York. Several consecutive days of temperatures in the upper 40s and 50s caused enough runoff from just snowmelt to bring the Tioughnioga river at Cortland out of its banks by early afternoon on the 6th. River levels at Cortland continued to slowly rise over the next several days; fueled by bouts of heavy rainfall. Minor flooding occurred along adjancent roadways just south of Cortland with basement flooding within the city itself. Water levels began to gradually recede on the 9th and dropped below flood stage on the evening of the 10th. Along the main branch of the Susquehanna river, several points spilled over flood stage beginning on the evening of the 7th. These included Conklin, Waverly, Vestal, and Binghamton. Also, the Unadilla and Chenango rivers saw lowland flooding commence late in the evening on the 7th. Most points within the Susquehanna basin crested late on the 9th or early on the 10th some 3 to 6 feet above flood stage. Several trailer parks along the river between Vestal and Waverly took on water during this time frame. Also, road closures took place and minor first floor damage to a few homes was incurred in Conklin. The situation was exacerbated by 1 to 3 inches of rain which fell across the basin from the evening of the 7th through the afternoon hours of the 9th. Finally, water levels began receding during the day on the 10th. By early evening on the 12th, all river points along the main stem of the Susquehanna, the Chenango, and the Unadilla rivers had fallen below their respective flood stages. Late in the afternoon on the 8th, the Cohocton river at Campbell and the Chemung river at Elmira exceeded their flood stages. Mainly lowland flooding occurred at these locations during the next 24 to 30 hours. A few immediately adjacent roadways and walkways were closed off due to high water conditions. Flood protection levees sheltered downtown Elmira from any significant effects. By late in the evening on the 9th, water levels had fallen back below flood stage for all points within the Chemung river basin.