Hilton, N.Y. (WHAM) — A severe thunderstorm Tuesday night flooded the Hilton Fire Department Carnival grounds when Salmon Creek overflowed.
“It’s a little high right now, but that’s because of the rain,” said Mike Lissow, former chief of the Hilton Fire Department.
Aerial photos showed the scale of the flood, which Lissow said lasted only hours.
BACKGROUND: GALLERY: Hilton Fire Department Carnival grounds flooded | After record rain, rescued hogs get cozy pen as cleanup continues at Wyoming County farm
The Hilton Fire Department Carnival grounds are flooded by Salmon Creek, Wednesday, April 1, 2026, following a storm the previous night. (Photo provided by Glenn Mullen)
“I was here at 8:30 in the morning (Wednesday), and it was almost out to the road,” Lissow said. “And mid afternoon, most of the field was empty.”
It’s a normal occurrence after heavy rain, said Lissow, who served 43 years in the fire department.
“In September of 2004, it was the remnants of Hurricane Frances, and we had heavy, heavy rains, and the fire hall flooded,” Lissow recalled. “And after that, we moved. But the fire department owns this property, so we can’t find something like this to have the carnival. We do what we have to down here.”
The beloved carnival will return July 15-18 after some much-needed cleanup.
“Some years it’s a quick cleanup because the flood’s not as bad,” Lissow said. “But this year was not one of those years.”
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