Family rescued from flooded home by firefighters using front-end loader in Putnam County
PHILIPSTOWN, New York (WABC) -- A family had to be rescued from their home after torrential rain caused severe flooding in parts of Putnam County.
Members of the North Highlands Fire Department, a hamlet in Philipstown, responded to the home which was surrounded by swift-moving water.
The department utilized a front-end loader from the Philipstown Highway Department to safely reach the home and help rescue the family.
It was a team effort as many took part in the rescue including: Putnam County Car 2, Putnam County Battalion 19, Philipstown Volunteer Ambulance Corps., Putnam Medic 1,Mahopac Falls Dive Team, Mahopac Falls Vol. Fire Department, Carmel Volunteer Ambulance Corp., Putnam County Sheriff's Office, New York State Police, and the Philipstown Highway Department.
A New York State Swift Water Rescue team was also dispatched to the incident but was canceled en route after the residents were successfully removed from the home.
There were also reports of wires down in Cold Spring and in Garrison.
In Cold Spring, the village ran a pump that not only removed water from a wooded trail area; it also prevented the excess from flooding nearby homes.
Gordon Weiss was among the lucky ones. The sump pump in his backyard kept the water from the cold spring out of his house... barely.
"That could not keep up with it at times. So, all of a sudden, the water is rising and, up to my ankles, I thought, 'OK, don't panic.' And it would dissipate a little bit," Weiss said. "And then 20 minutes later, here it came again."
----------
* Download the abc7NY app for breaking news alerts
Submit a tip or story idea to Eyewitness News
Have a breaking news tip or an idea for a story we should cover? Send it to Eyewitness News using the form below. If attaching a video or photo, terms of use apply.
