Highland Falls officials: Thursday's storm wiped out flooding recovery
Village leaders say they fixed a new set of drainage problems ahead of another possible downpour this weekend.
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Highland Falls officials say Thursday night's storm completely wiped out all the progress they were making getting the village back to normal after Sunday's storm.
They raced on Friday to fix a new set of drainage problems ahead of another possible downpour this weekend.
Resident Mervin Livesay said Thursday's storm took down his retaining wall along Highland Brook, leaving him with a cliff out back.
His downstairs office flooded with water that rushed down Mountain Drive, which ruined important documents and keepsakes. He says he and his neighbors need government assistance to rebound.
"We need help now. Homeowner's insurance is not going to cover it. It's not going to cover it. We need FEMA," Livesay said.
Highland Falls Mayor Joe D'Onofrio said he has met daily with FEMA officials, making the case for residents who are seeking aid. He said damages to the water system, roads and other infrastructure total around $35 million.
A representative for FEMA said the agency is likely going to start adding up damages for homes and businesses next week.
For now, D'Onofrio instructed the Public Works Department to clear every storm drain in the village to minimize flooding during the next storm.
