By Eileen Buckley & Mark Wozniak
Buffalo, NY – Extensive flooding hit the Southern Tier hard Sunday night and Monday morning. The heavy thunderstorms pounded the Buffalo region. But the hardest hit area was more than 30-miles South of Buffalo in the Village of Gowanda, New York.
Authorities say an 80 year old man Cattaraugus County man was killed when he was swept away by flood waters rushing past his home. States of emergency have been declared in the towns of Collins and Perrysburg, and the villages of North Collins, Springville and Gowanda.
A boil water advisory is also posted in Perrysburg, and in the village of Silver Creek. The heavy thunderstorms pulled down power lines and trees in some parts of the region. At least 100-boats have been reported to be damaged by the flooding along Cattaraugus Creek. About 50 were pushed into Lake Erie and another 50 remain in the creek.
The Erie County Sheriff's Department rescued a group of campers from flash flooding in Zoar Valley early Monday morning. The Sheriff's Department Air One helicopter rescued six people and two to three dogs in Cattaraugus Creek.
More rain could mean more flooding for parts of western New York today. The National Weather Service says heavy rainfall could dump an additional one to two inches in the region this morning. 80year old man recovered, killed by flood waters 1.63 inches of rain were recorded in Buffalo Sunday, breaking the old August 9th record of 1.62 inches set in 1885.