Flooding

“It’ll make homes less affordable than they already are, and that’s already an issue that we have in the city."

The funding comes after flooding caused by Tropical Storm Fred damaged hundreds of homes in August.

Hundreds of residents and businesses in Steuben and other counties lost property after flooding last summer. The U.S. Small Business Administration is now offering loans to fill in the gaps. But some are saying the help has arrived too late.

"Now every time we see it rain, or flood warning, we get scared and we flee our house."

Local officials and developers say new affordable apartments are breathing life into one Broome County neighborhood.

While the county can use FEMA public assistance to repair schools and other publicly-funded institutions, its residential neighbors are not eligible.

“These aren’t small repairs. A furnace is anywhere from $2,000 to $4,000.”

“It’s like a race against Mother Nature."

“What’s happening in the watershed in terms of land use and these precipitation patterns means that these boundaries shift.”

This week marks ten years since flood waters from Tropical Storm Lee left residents in Owego displaced, without electricy, and scrambling to save their homes. WSKG is sharing some of their stories.