SILVER CREEK - Nearly seven months have passed since the devastating August flood. Life is back to being pretty much the same as it was prior to Aug. 9, 2009. But one thing will never be the same.
And that's the flow patterns of the creeks.
"The creeks are different now than they were prior to August 9," said Julius Leone, coordinator of Chautauqua County Office of Emergency Services.
"Since the flood in August, the direction and the paths of both of the creeks have changed," said Village Disaster Coordinator Richard Bartlett, "So, all the work that we used to do, with the preventive maintenance and everything that we've done in the past, I can't say for sure that it's going to work again."
Silver Creek does have emergency plans in place, Bartlett said, and the village is working quickly to inform residents of the precautions being taken to ensure safety.
The new flow of the creeks presents a challenge because there's no guarantee that the village will be able to utilize previously practiced plans. Water may rush to places rarely affected by flooding in the past.
However, after the experiences gained during the summer flood, village Mayor Kurt Lindstrom said it's time Silver Creek takes measures to fully prepare for what may come, despite possible financial costs.
"My saying, 'Once you get hit in the face with a brick, it hurts. But you can't let yourself get hit again.' Well, how many years have we flooded and not done anything? So, I think we need to bite the bullet and get it done," Lindstrom said, discussing flood mitigation efforts.
Lindstrom, Leone and Bartlett, along with a long, table-full of others spoke to village residents about preparedness and precautions prior to the spring flood season at a public information meeting Thursday.
The message: be prepared.
"We need to be prepared in case we do encounter ice jam flooding this spring," Leone said.
Leone commended Lindstrom, Bartlett and Ralph Crawford, working supervisor for the village's Department of Public Works, for being proactive about removing debris from the creeks, clearing the path for water as snow melts.
The August flood left behind high volumes of debris in the creeks, where much of it still remains.
Bartlett referred to clearing the creeks as a priority for the village. Unfortunately, he added, the money that has come in from the federal and state governments doesn't quite cover what it costs for extensive debris removal.
There has been creek dredging activity in the Rix, Oliver and Dana Place section of the village, Bartlett said.
"We've probably lowered the water level down there about four and a half feet by taking all of that gravel out of there," Bartlett said. He added, "We're trying to slowly build those banks back up. ... My main issue was to try to lower that water level so if we do see an ice jam flood, it's not coming down five foot higher than it should be."
The Department of Environmental Conservation and the Army Corps of Engineers regulate creek dredging practices, Crawford said.
To abide by DEC standards, the village can only dig six inches under the water. However, once the water level resettles, workers can continue to dig, another six inches under.
An additional DEC regulation, which has complicated work, prohibits the village from disposing of debris off-site, away from the creeks. Debris pulled from the creeks must remain near the banks.
Still, the county and village have been diligently clearing creeks, adhering to regulations.
While officials want Silver Creek residents to be prepared, they don't want them to be afraid.
"We will never get from ice jam flooding the amount of water that we got that night (in August)," Bartlett said.
Village residents have been through ice jam flooding before, and there is no reason for alarm. However, there are countless reasons to be prepared, officials said.
Information is a powerful tool during a disaster situation, but emergency personnel cannot be everywhere at all times. For that reason, Village Police Chief Timothy Roche asked residents to call in a report, if they see water rising.
"We need the cooperation of the individuals in the community, as our eyes and ears, so that we can give the quickest response to those areas, when and if we have difficulties," Roche said.
It is important to human safety that disaster information be distributed as soon as it is discovered. Michael Mendez, planning technician for county emergency services, encouraged all residents, not just those living in the village of Silver Creek, to sign up for NY-ALERT.
NY-ALERT is a web-based portal that allows governments to quickly provide critical emergency information to a specific audience. Individuals can sign up at www.nyalert.gov, or by calling 1-888-697-6972.
In the case of an emergency situation, NY-ALERT will call or send text messages to notify people of danger.
The Silver Creek Fire Department will also notify residents with their fire whistle.
There are three different sounds that residents will hear from the whistle. Most people are familiar with two of the tones. One - a repeated blast of the horn - is an ambulance notification. The longer "whale" sound informs of a fire situation.
Another sound - an alternating high-pitched and low-pitched sound - will become the tool used to notify residents of dangerous flooding. Residents living in low-lying areas should proceed to higher ground, if they hear that sound.
"We're not trying to alarm anyone, if anything happens we're going to be there and we'll do what we have to, but there are a couple of things we learned during that August flood," Bartlett said. "And time is of the essence."
Following the event, multiple village residents noted hearing that the village is prepared for any future flooding makes them feel safer.
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