Engineers recommend $10 million flood plan for Phoenicia

Story on DailyFreeman.com:

Engineers say replacing the Bridge Street Bridge and enhancing the floodplain around Phoenicia is the best way to reduce flooding in the hamlet.

The $10 million plan, however, would not eliminate flooding altogether and would not be painless.
Some buildings in Phoenicia, like the offices of Ruth Gale Realty, some parts of the Black Bear Campground on Bridge Street and some homes on Station Road, would have to go. In essence, the idea is to lower the ground on both sides of the Esopus Creek to give floodwater a place to go instead of up onto Main Street.

A fringe benefit would be there would also be new property available for recreation use, perhaps even for the Phoenicia Riverwalk, a plan discussed several years ago to energize the back side of the hamlet’s Main Street structures alongside the creek.

When all is said and done, engineers calculate that flooding on Main Street will drop by about a foot during major events like the one seen when Hurricane Irene hit in 2011.

At an Aug. 10 session held at the Phoenicia Parish Hall, Engineer Mark Carabetta walked those in attendance through his past 10 months of work on evaluating options for Phoenicia.

Dredging the Esopus, according to Carabetta, would not reduce flooding much at all. Nor would replacing the Woodland Valley Bridge with a wider span or modifying the Stony Clove Bridge.

Widening the span of the Bridge Street Bridge, he added, would not help much unless the floodplain area was increased.

Carabetta’s work is part of a Town effort to identify a plausible project that makes sense from a money standpoint. Federal level funding is available for flood projects, but only if proven to have a strong enough cost benefit.

This plan, Carabetta said, represents a $10.1 million benefit over a 50 year period. Because the benefit outweighs the cost, he added, this is a viable project.

“There’s a good chance it would be funded by a number of agencies,” he said.
Phoenicia resident Michelle Spark warned that, no matter what plan is put in place, the Esopus Creek remains a wild card. All this work could be done, she said, but then the creek could just shift to a new location.

But, doing nothing is not an option, said Town Supervisor Rob Stanley.

“With flooding, there’s no magic bullet,” he said. “There’s nothing we can do to stop flooding.”
Ric Ricciardella told Carabetta time is of the essence and now that there is a plan, it is time to get it done.

“I don’t care if you get 10 engineers,” Ricciardella said. “We’re waiting and waiting. This could have been done last fall and it would have been over by now.

“How long are we going to wait for another flood?”

A story from the Woodstock Times: Work in Stony Clove Creek may help with flooding, turbidity.

 (L) Before — an eroding streambank in Chichester near Silver Hollow Road, before stream modification. Photo courtesy of Ashokan Watershed Stream Management Program.
(R) After — the new streambank, redesigned to prevent flood damage to roads, properties, and Phoenicia’s Main Street. (photo by Violet Snow)
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Grants for flood debris clearing

Article in MidHudson News includes this paragraph:


A total of $212,345 has been awarded as of January 25 from the Stream Corridor Protection Debris Removal Program launched by the corporation in December.  Projects are in West Shokan, Shandaken, Chichester, Lanesville and Halcott, where the town was awarded $37,455 to hire a contractor to clear three sites on Vly Creek.

mid-October

This boulder used to be adjacent to the CPOA deck, found at confluence of Stoney Clove and Warner Creeks, in Silver Hollow

Awaiting relief funds

This news story from News 10, an ALbany station, highlights Phoenicia's continuing plight.

Prattsville announces rebuilding “Action Plan”

The Town of Prattsville has announced an action plan; to rebuild and redesign the city to make it a better place to live in the future. The town made the transition from emergency mode to rebuilding mode as of Tuesday night. Community leaders say they're hoping to turn this disaster into a way to make Prattsville "better" than it was before.More than a month has passed since the flood caused by Hurricane Irene wiped out most of the town. Condemned homes line the streets; while some businesses are getting back on their feet. During the town's weekly meeting Supervisor Kory O'Hara mentioned an "Action Plan' for a long term rebuilding process.

September 8

Pondering wisdom of rebuilding anew

Route 42.

This New York Times article created something of a brouhaha, especially the quote attributed to Kevin Cahill.

Irene caused $1B in damage; FEMA declares disaster

Across Main Street from the Morses in Prattsville, N.Y., an area destroyed by flooding related to Tropical Storm Irene. (Jimmy Vielkind/Times Union)

Fertile flood plain a two-edged sword

The Batavia Kill overflowed its banks, swamping the Lawrence family's farm in Ashland, N.Y. More Photos »

Ongoing CPOA grounds rehabilitation

Steel beams were back in place, and planking was being added, to make a temporary foot bridge.

Little by little, progress being made in rehabilitating the grounds.

October 18 pictures of CPOA grounds

Finally, later on Saturday the 16th, Jerry Ciacciera managed  to start, and move, his truck:

Additional October 1 flood pictures

Lee Wecker and John Boudreau sent along pictures of the flood damage, including this near-miss to their house:

The Ostrander Bridge collapsed into Stoney Clove Creek, alas.

DELUGE!

Story in the Daily Freeman reporting on the flood; includes photos and videos.

Flood Damage Reporting for FEMA

The Cornell Cooperative Extension of Ulster County sent along this posting.

October 1 flood - Chichester photos

Amy and Len Lerner sent these photos along:

(above) Looking down from the Stoney Clove Lane Bridge.

Stoney Clove Creek seen from the Lerner estate.

Remains of the Ostrander Bridge leading from Route 214 to the community house.

Our intrepid reporter on the job.

October 1 flood article

This e-article in the Kingston Daily Freeman includes photos and videos on the flooding in Phoenicia and damage to Route 214.

May days

The winter floods left our grounds in bad shape. Note the damage to the familiar sights of familiar places. That is a beach on which yes, that dog again, stands; those boulders used to be in the middle of Stoney Creek last summer.

Stoney Creek overruns its banks when the water rises rapidly; our parking area is part of its natural flood plain.

Notice how detritus and flotsam gets trapped behind the trees before the riding toys.