Allegany County reports countywide state of emergency after northern storm damage

Allegany County officials reported that a countywide state of emergency was declared at 9:30 p.m. on March 31 following storms that caused significant damage in the northern portion of the county, Chairman of the Board W. Brooke Harris told the Resource Management Committee on April 1.

Harris said the declaration does not include emergency orders, travel bans, or curfews, but noted that the Sheriff’s Office issued a travel advisory. He said towns are documenting impacts, that bridge and culvert inspections are underway, and that towns are submitting damage information to the Office of Emergency Management for aggregation and potential state or federal assistance.

Harris told the committee the county has met the threshold for a Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) declaration and that County Superintendent of Public Works Thomas Windus was likely to provide additional damage updates later in the day. The committee did not take formal action on the emergency during the meeting; the update was delivered as part of the meeting’s “Good of the Order.”

Soil & Water Conservation Executive Director Scott Torrey and Cornell Cooperative Extension Executive Director Laura Hunsberger were not in attendance but had submitted their monthly reports for review, the committee minutes show.

Officials said damage assessments are ongoing; the next procedural step described in the meeting record is awaiting further updates from the superintendent of public works and continued documentation from affected towns, which will support any requested state or federal assistance.