WOODHULL, N.Y. (WETM) – Starting in the afternoon on August 17th, 2021 and ending the following day, heavy downpours and strong floods were scattered across the Twin Tiers, especially in Steuben County.

According to the Elmira-Corning Regional Airport, 4.10 inches of precipitation were recorded from August 17th to August 18th. This amount combined with river water led to deep, fast-moving floods that covered the streets and caused significant damage throughout the region.

Multiple buildings in Steuben County at the time of the flood faced outdoor and indoor damage. “Golden Age Cheese” in Woodhull, for example, is one of the small businesses that dealt with at least four feet of flood waters.

“It was a very scary time for both our organization, the Golden Age Cheese company, and for the community,” said Matthew Blanchard, Chief Operating Officer for Golden Age Cheese. “To see that level of devastation, it was hard to envision that we would come back from that.”

Matthew adds that the community in Woodhull helped tremendously in cleaning up the huge mess since the flood. The store is now operating just as well as it did before August 2021.

Another building affected greatly by the flood is Jasper-Troupsburg Junior/Senior High School. Water, dirt, and waste flowed into the building with great force, resulting in widespread damage to school property.

Superintendent Leanne Jordan says the school is still being cleaned, but the community has been working tirelessly since the building closed down last year. Jasper students are currently taking courses at Canisteo-Greenwood Middle School until 2024.

There may still be a lot to clean up after what happened last year, but the communities across Steuben County and the rest of the Twin Tiers are proud of where we are now. This strengthens hope that the communities will continue giving in order to help prepare for another natural disaster in the future.