08/12/09: Gowanda Day #3: Governor Visits Flood Damaged Southern Tier

Original YNN Buffalo Air Date: 08/12/09
Governor David Paterson visited Southern Erie County to tour the areas damaged by this past weekend’s storms. American Red Cross officials say Gowanda is officially a disaster zone. The disaster Relief Team rode around the village handing out 100 boxed cleaning kits to help residents.
“They are just grateful that we’re here. And that we’re handing out cleaning kits so that they can start working on their homes,” said Michael J. Hoplight with the Niagara Falls American Red Cross.
Emergency crews pumped mud from 60 basements. Gowanda police say several homes had to be condemned. Governor David Paterson visited Gowanda and says the damage across Erie and Cattaraugus counties is estimated at $19 million dollars. The governor says he plans to review the tally with a “fine tooth comb.”
“If we’re going to meet the federal threshold for disaster relief of $26 million dollars we have to make sure that we are very accurate with those numbers,” Paterson told reporters outside the Gowanda makeshift command center at the middle school.
Governor Paterson was not quick to say just how much money will come to help Gowanda. Right now there are several condemned houses and a boil water advisory remaining in affect.
The Gowanda reservoir is in wreck and ruins. The basin only has a two day supply.In these desperate times village engineers say conservation in key.
“We do have some temporary wells that we’ve put back in service which have some water quality issues and we’re trying to get a set of springs back on line,” said Cattaraugus County Gowanda Village Engineer Mark Burr.
“Our water has finally receded over here, so we’re able to get to the six inches of silt on the ground,” Gowanda’s Steve Murphy. He says the silt stays, as muddy water continues to dry up around Gowanda, leaving him and other residents in survival mode.
While the water runs dry Murphy hopes a little dry humor will help his fellow Gowandans stay optimistic. So he painted “Gowanda Survival 2009” on a Buffalo statue posted in his mud covered front yard. He even wrote “flood this” on the Buffalo’s behind.
“You gotta make the best out of a bad situation. If this gives somebody a little giggle on the way by then we’re proud of that. You know keep spirits up.”