Strong Storm Causes Damage in Putnam

The Hudson Valley InterArts building at 40 Jon Barrett Road in Patterson was damaged in last week’s torrential rain. Photo by Patterson Fire Department.

A fast-growing lightning storm hit the area July 14 that dumped about 5 inches of rain in the region in less than two hours, according to the Patterson Fire Department. This deluge quickly caused rivers to flood and storm drains to become overwhelmed, leading to numerous emergency calls in a short period of

The department said the bulk of the calls came in just after 4 p.m., including several fire alarms, transformer fires, trees down, road hazards with cobblestone-sized rocks strewn across major roadways from water washout, and foot-deep water in several locations. This forced the temporary closure of several roadways, including Route 22 and Haviland Hollow Road.

“The biggest call of the day came from Jon Barrett Road where a building partially collapsed during the downpour,” the department stated. “Thankfully, the building was completely empty at the time and nobody was injured.”

The building that collapsed is part of Community Based Services and Hudson Valley InterArts, where plans to develop an early learning center are taking shape.

“Emergency personnel were immediately onsite to ensure appropriate steps were taken to prevent further damage and make sure no one entered the compromised space,” said Putnam County Executive Kevin Byrne. “This microburst of extreme rainfall had also caused numerous road washouts, downed trees, and damage along Route 22. We are extremely grateful to all those first responders who were working throughout (the) storms.”

Community Based Services has assured the county it remains committed to moving forward with opening the early learning center at that location, according to Byrne.

“Our team will continue to assess conditions on the ground and work with CBS and its engineers to ensure the program’s long-term success,” he said.

The Patterson Fire Department thanked Putnam Lake F.D. for assisting with the numerous calls, the town highway department for helping to quickly remove blockages, and the Putnam County Sheriff’s Office for assisting with the road closures.

“We also want to give a special word of thanks to all the local fire department members – 100 percent volunteer – that left their paying jobs early to put themselves in harm’s way while the storm was still raging, to help close roads, cut fallen trees, and help keep our community safe,” stated the department.