SYLVAN BEACH, N.Y. — Flooding is causing major problems for homeowners along Oneida Lake as waves from the west push water into Sylvan Beach.
Residents said the flooding began as strong winds pushed waves over sea walls and into homes along Lakeshore Drive.
Mary Cathleen Powers, who owns a home on Lakeshore Drive, said, “This is the worst I’ve ever seen it. The whitecaps are…I had a whitecap come to my house. The whitecaps are coming to my house.”
Neighbors pointed to the wind as the main reason water is entering their homes.
Steve Proper, a Lakeshore Drive resident, said, “The wind is the problem. The wave action piles up the water at this end of the lake and the waves come crashing over the seawalls and cause the water to come into this area and it has nowhere to drain.”
The Sylvan Beach Fire Department has been helping people, even rescuing some by boat.
Some homeowners are using pumps to try to remove water from their homes, but many said there is nowhere for it to go.
Paul Campanella, a concerned neighbor, said, “I mean, they got some progress, but you can only do so much.” Campanella has been helping neighbors pump water out of basements. National Grid has cut power to some homes, which has left some residents worried about freezing pipes. Campanella said, “Wait for it to recede and assess the damage. That’s all, and hopefully nothing shifts on the camps and stuff like that, you know what I mean? No damage, and hopefully it doesn’t freeze.”
Proper said, “We’re hoping that that doesn’t happen to us. Obviously, we need the heat, but we’ll see.”
Lakeshore Drive is closed to local traffic as water begins to erode the roadway.
The Town is providing sandbags, but many residents said the flooding has already caused damage.
Powers said, “I hope somebody can help us because this is ridiculous. I mean, I know they want to stop other people from being flooded but you can’t do this to us because that… I’m sorry… I get so upset.”
Flooding is causing major problems for homeowners along Oneida Lake as waves from the west push water into Sylvan Beach.