ONEIDA COUNTY, N.Y. – Severe thunderstorms contributed to three deaths in central New York and dumped up to 5 inches of rain on Sunday, prompting a rare Flash Flood Emergency as floodwaters covered roads and entered homes.
Storm reports from the National Weather Service office in Binghamton, New York, show Oneida County’s emergency manager reported three deaths after severe storms knocked down multiple trees onto at least two separate structures near Clark Mills, New York, just before 4 a.m. ET on Sunday.
FOX Weather has reached out to Oneida County officials to independently confirm these storm-related fatalities.
Oneida County officials said thunderstorms left more than 30,000 without power and caused significant damage in the towns of Kirkland, Lee, Westmoreland and Trenton. National Grid crews are working to restore power.
“We are doing everything we can to respond quickly and safely to the damage left by these storms,” Oneida County Executive Anthony J. Picente, Jr., said in a statement. “Our emergency teams are on the ground clearing roadways, coordinating with utility crews and assessing the needs of affected communities. I urge everyone to stay alert, avoid downed power lines and give our crews the space they need to do their work.”
The same storm system brought a deluge of rain to central New York throughout Sunday morning.
Shortly before 9 a.m. ET, the NWS office in Binghamton issued a Flash Flood Emergency for Chenango County.
The NWS said between 3 and 5 inches of rain had already fallen and major flash flooding was ongoing, with reports of roads and bridges overrun by water, homes taking on water, and at least 10 people stranded by flooding.
Flooding was reported in areas such as Norwich, Sherburne and New Berlin.
Chenango County is in a state of emergency due to the flooding.
“This is a Flash Flood Emergency for Chenango County,” the NWS warned in its Flash Flood Emergency. “This is a particularly dangerous situation. Seek higher ground now!”
Strong to severe storms also caused flash flooding outside the emergency areas, including in Madison County, where the video above shows rushing floodwaters on a farm in Morrisville, New York.
New York Department of Transportation crews were clearing debris from roads after the same complex of thunderstorms produced severe weather, including nearly two dozen reports of damaging winds or wind damage, farther north in the state earlier Sunday morning.
Flash Flood Warnings are also in place into Sunday afternoon for parts of Broome and Tioga counties in central New York and Susquehanna and Wayne counties in northeastern Pennsylvania.
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