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Penn Yan Residents Respond to Flood Damage

http://youtu.be/7aGP66d8h-M

Crews are working around the clock in Penn Yan, clearing roadways and helping the residents deal in the aftermath of the overnight storm.

Flooded basements, muddied streets, downed trees and dozens of Penn Yan residents are displaced from their houses.

"It's probably the worst that I’ve seen. I’ve been in eleven years."

Ricky Simpson, with the Penn Yan Fire Department, has been pumping out muddy basements throughout the night and day.

"We got all the different departments helping us out. We’re going to be doing this for a while."

Penn Yan resident Ron Daily says after the storm hit, his street resembled a big lake.

"There was water in the basement up to the ceiling. All the neighbors around had the same thing."

Despite shoveling sludge from his lawn and the walk way leading up to his house, Daily is in good spirits.

"It could be a lot worse. We got some mud and water damage. But you know we'll get through it."

Others aren't so fortunate. Most of the damage in Penn Yan happened near Main and East Elm Streets. The side walk is buckled, and parts of the street is caved in. Cars in a nearby parking lot are under rubble. And a recently renovated landmark building collapsed.

"If you were to just walk it looks like a war zone or tornado or something came through here,” says Nathan Baker, who owns an entertainment business on Elm Street. He walked in to his business Wednesday morning to nearly 5 inches of water. In the basement, 20 amp circuits submerged under water.

"We're still assessing different areas,” says Penn Yan Chief of Police Mark Husle. “Obviously we are still trying to find out what needs to be looked at not so much repaired completely but at least repaired to the point to where if we do get more rainfall that we have the, water will flow freely again and not get clogged up by the debris that's in them."

Husle says is going to take days to clean up the debris from the storm. And it could be until the end of summer before the total damage is repaired.