"It's catastrophic. There's a lot of tragedy here": Orange County still cleaning up after severe flooding
NEW YORK - Residents in Highland Falls, Orange County, are bracing themselves for more severe weather coming their way over the weekend, but many of them are still cleaning out their homes from the intense flooding that swept up part of their town Sunday.
It's all hands on deck at Sacred Heart Church getting essential items from one person to the next.
Devastating flooding left this community reeling. So much so, the food pantry at Sacred Heart Church is serving more people than they ever have before.
This week's flooding has devastated our communities, & I will keep fighting to make sure they get the assistance they need.
— Governor Kathy Hochul (@GovKathyHochul) July 14, 2023
I have requested a Major Disaster Declaration from @POTUS for impacted areas & am requesting support for homeowners in Ontario & Orange Counties.
"In a course of a month, I may serve maybe about 600 people. So yesterday we served 817 in one day," said Sally, who helps at the food pantry at Sacred Heart Church.
- Related story: Orange, Rockland counties bracing for more rain that could cause another round of flash flooding
Rushing water and collapsed roads can be found in the middle of this small town. Sunday took parts of this community by storm - inundating it with intense flood waters.
"This is catastrophic. There's a lot of tragedy here, a lot of people lost their homes," said Monique Wolf, who helps the pantry at Sacred Heart Church.
As dozens of cars pull up for help, other residents are clearing out items ruined from flooding, some even finding temporary shelter in their backyards.
"There were members of the community jumping in windows to rescue people out of their homes," said Jared Temple, who works at the Red Cross and is on site in Highland Falls.
No matter the age, people from across town are finding ways to help.
"This is our community. They're all out here helping. It's a beautiful thing," said Sally.
The Department of Financial Services was at the church Friday helping residents who were impacted by the flooding. Red Cross has been on site helping people relocate.
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