08/11/09: Gowanda Flooding Day #2: Second Death Confirmed as Clean Up Continues

Original YNN Buffalo Air Date: 08/11/09
A second death is confirmed in connection with this past weekend’s storms.
Erie County Sheriff Tim Howard says 81year old Floyd Farley of Gowanda had a fatal health emergency related to the flooding.
Farley’s death comes after 80 year old Theodore Stitzel was killed when he was washed away by the violent waters
Sheriff Howard says the Stizel family lived in Gowanda for generations and now they are struggling to pick up the pieces.
“The families are obviously devastated. They are probably among the best witnesses to the storms in Gowanda. They’ve seen this happen countless times over the past 100 years. They say this last storm was the greatest devastation they’ve had to their farm is the worst that they’ve ever seen,” said Sheriff Howard.
Gowanda first responders are rallying around the Stizel and Farley families in their time of need.
FEMA crews are in Gowanda surveying the damage from the deadly storm.
“Mother Nature won the first round that’s for sure,” said Gowanda’s Rachel Mitchell wiping her brow. Mitchell and the rest of Chapel Street are moving mud from their homes.
“Everything in the garage and everything in the basement is a total loss. But all of our family members are alive and that’s the most important thing,” added a thankful Mitchell.
Emergency crews evacuated 50 houses for safety evaluations. Those families have since returned to their homes filled with silt.
“It’s been backbreaking. The material is so heavy. Thank God we have several young people that have muscles. That has helped us an awful lot,” said Mary Reagan outside Gowanda Elementary School. The building has been turned into a makeshift triage to treat patients since Tri-County Hospital was flooded and closed for cleaning indefinitely.
FEMA crews joined Cattaraugus and Erie County leaders to survey the damage and assess how much federal assistance may be on the way.
“FEMA is not there to back up individual home owners. That’s why they have insurance. FEMA is there for the town and for the counties on a municipal basis to help rebuild roads, water systems and the likes,” explained Erie County Executive Chris Collins
The FEMA assessment could take up to a week, while Western New York crews work to help residents from the Gowanda Disaster Command Center.
“We’re now on the way to the fire department just trying to reach the water department and someone to continue hosing out the basement. We just have so many inches of mud down there. We need to get it out,” said a tearful Linda Wilson.
The Red Cross supplied clean-up kits to about 50 families from the parking lot, while the Salvation Army dished out about 1,800 meals to families in need
“They’re very grateful, very kind to all of us. We have some very great volunteers that are helping us out,” said Maj. Bill Lynch with the Salvation Army’s Empire Division.
Salvation Army officials say there are 400 more clean-up kits on the way.
But for now it’s a muddy mess as Gowandans turn to one another for a helping hand. Residents on Chapel Street say it’s been a community labor of love as residents go from house to house with a community bucket brigade.
“The community, everyone you see out here is pitching each other. Trying to get things done. You just take it one day at a time really,” said Mitchell with a smile.