Cuomo: NY deploying sandbags to prevent Lake Ontario flooding

April 29-- Apr. 29--As Lake Ontario levels continue to rise, Gov. Andrew Cuomo said Sunday that the state will provide resources to prevent flooding along the shoreline.

The state Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Services is deploying 216,000 sandbags and several sandbagging machines to Cayuga, Jefferson, Monroe, Niagara, Orleans, Oswego, St. Lawrence and Wayne counties. The state also has 6,771 feet of aqua dams, temporary barriers that are an alternative to sandbags, ready to deploy to shoreline communities.

Cuomo, who visited Sodus Point Monday, said an additional 30,000 unfilled sandbags and nearly 6,000 filled sandbags will be sent to the Wayne County village to protect against flooding. The village will also receive hoses, pumps and aqua dams.

The state Department of Corrections and Community Supervision has two crews, each comprised of 12 inmates, to fill sandbags at the state Department of Transportation's facility in Sodus, Wayne County, and at the agency's facility in Hilton, Monroe County. DOCCS could provide six more work crews if needed, according to the governor's office.

Department of Environmental Conservation officials are monitoring water level data to identify areas along the lake that could be susceptible to flooding. The agency is also prepared to assist homeowners and municipalities with permits to make repairs or stabilize properties.

Cuomo directed the large state response due to rising lake levels. The Lake Ontario-St. Lawrence River Board, which is part of the International Joint Commission, announced last week that lake levels are a foot higher than the average for this time of year. The lake is about a foot below 2017 levels.

In 2017, flooding affected several communities along Lake Ontario. President Donald Trump issued a major disaster declaration for counties along the lake, including Cayuga, Oswego and Wayne counties.

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