ROCHESTER, N.Y. (WROC) – The Webster community dedicated much of Tuesday to assessing damage and initiating cleanup efforts following significant rainfall that led to extensive flooding on Monday evening.
The storms struck just around dinner time, persisting for approximately three hours and resulting in inundated roadways, fallen trees, and downed power lines. Local fire departments received numerous reports of flooded basements and other related issues.
Steven Smith, the owner of Limelight Automotive on Ridge Road and landlord of a nearby property on Jackson Road, describes his situation as a “work in progress,” having acquired the property only a few years ago. In an interview with News8, Smith recalled how he was concluding his workday when he first noticed the rain but didn’t anticipate the severity until he received a call from his tenant about the flooding.
“Where we’re standing right now, it would be up to my knees,” Smith explained during an interview on-site Tuesday afternoon, indicating the water level with his hand.
“It was quite alarming. We rushed over, immediately concerned about the basement, which was nearly fully submerged… If I had gone down there, I would have been submerged up to my neck,” he added.
On Tuesday morning, a long pump was brought in to remove water from the basement. Smith described his initial encounter upon entering the lower level on Monday night.
“The moment I opened the door, it was a sight to behold. The fire department mentioned this was one of the worst situations they’ve encountered. I’ve heard other homes are affected as well, but they’re dealing with maybe a foot of water, whereas we had about 5 to 5.5 feet,” he stated.
Smith estimates the damage at around $10,000 and notes that his tenant needed to find temporary accommodation due to the flooding’s severity.
“It was strange because there was no power outage at all, but seeing the water level in the basement raised concerns about the electrical panel being soaked. The fire department advised us to have RG&E shut off the water and gas,” he explained.
By the end of the interview, most of the water had been pumped out of the basement. Smith is optimistic about having his tenant back in the home by the end of the week, if not sooner.