Warwick declares emergency during severe flooding

Warwick — To many observers, the flooding that occurred in the Village of Warwick and much of the surrounding area last Monday was the worst in recent memory. A nor’easter, which began Sunday, April 15, caused serious flooding and road closures throughout the area. The rain continued to fall throughout Monday and Tuesday. Warwick, which declared a state of emergency, was one of the hardest hit areas with an estimated eight inches of rainfall. “Here we go again,” said Mary Beth Schlichting, president of the Warwick Merchant Guild and owner of Frazzleberries gift shop at 24 Main St., Warwick. Schlichting’s store, like the others on her East side of Main Street, backs up against Wawayanda Creek, which can sometimes rise above store basements. Having suffered through this experience before, Schlichting built high storage shelves in her basement and moved merchandise to safety in advance of the storm. But there was another serious problem. “The common power box that controls the electricity for the shops in this building is set too low,” said Schlichting. “If the rain doesn’t stop, Orange and Rockland will turn off the power and we will all be out of business for at least a week.” That prospect looked likely as many local roads were closed and an automated telephone message from Town of Warwick Supervisor Michael Sweeton urged residents to stay home. Nevertheless, some ignored the warnings and traffic entering the Village of Warwick was often brought to a standstill to allow emergency equipment to pass. Several businesses, however, had closed for the day. The good news was that crews from the Warwick Volunteer Fire Department and others were soon on the job, using their apparatus to pump out store and residential basements.