Michael DeFrancesco declared a state of emergency in the City of Rensselaer on Wednesday as Capital District Flooding spread after heavy rain and raised the threat of flash flooding through 7 a.m. Thursday. Rensselaer County, the Town of Schodack, Greene County, the Town of Chatham, the Town of Amsterdam, the Village of Coxsackie and the Village of Castleton also moved into emergency status.
The city order covered the period through 7 a.m. Thursday. Officials in Rensselaer warned that travel could be extremely hazardous near lower Columbia Turnpike along Route 9 and 20, 6th Street near Hollow Park and areas near creeks and streams, while low-lying areas near the Hudson River were expected to face unusually high tide.
Rensselaer County road closures
Rensselaer County reported closures on County Route 1, County Route 4 and County Route 7 in Schodack, along with County Route 40 in Berlin and County Route 50 in Sand Lake. It also listed Route 150, U.S. 20, U.S. 9 and Route 9J in Schodack. The Town of Schodack said numerous roads were closed or impassable, which was the basis for its emergency declaration.
Town of Chatham window
The Town of Chatham set its state of emergency from 11 a.m. Wednesday until 11 a.m. Thursday after excessive rainfall had already flooded local, county and state roadways. Officials in Chatham said the flooding could impede emergency response operations and pose a threat to public safety. Greene County also declared a state of emergency because of the storm.
Amsterdam, Coxsackie, and Castleton
Montgomery County Executive Pete Vroman declared a local state of emergency for the Town of Amsterdam after localized flash flooding. County officials said the declaration would help expedite emergency road and infrastructure repairs, access resources and streamline recovery efforts. In the Village of Coxsackie, officials said the Mansion Street viaduct was flooded as of 6 a.m. Wednesday, and the village reported flooding and washed-out roads. The Village of Castleton declared a state of emergency after multiple roads were described as dangerous or impassable, and officials said the village water delivery system building was flooded.
Castleton also issued a village-wide boil water order until further notice, and residents were asked to voluntarily restrict water use. Emergency crews were expected to assess damage and carry out repairs across the affected communities, with road conditions and the water order shaping the immediate recovery work.
