Delaware River and Callicoon Creek wreak havoc on upriver communities

By TOM KANE

Although no homes were destroyed along the Delaware River and the Callicoon Creek, residents had their cellars flooded and lost valuable appliances that were stored there.

The area seemingly hardest hit was “the island” in Jeffersonville, which had to be evacuated as high waters threatened homes and destroyed a few automobiles.

The island is a small piece of land bordered by the Callicoon Creek on the south and the hills above the hamlet on the north. The only way in is a footbridge from Route 52 and one road that crosses a bridge just east of the hamlet from Route 52. Because it is low land, it is frequently flooded by storms. However, to longtime residents, this weekend’s storm and subsequent flooding was the worst.

Looking onto the island from the footbridge, the scene was pandemonium. Waters raged and homeowners, who had been evacuated from their homes, stood stunned on high ground watching the water wreak its damage.

Stanley Oliver, an “island” resident for 17 years, said it was the worst flood he had ever seen.

“The water flooded my cellar and shop and came from one inch of entering my front door,” he said. “The water stayed up high longer than the ’96 flood.”

In Kohlertown, Joyce Benwarden, who has lived in the hamlet all her life, said it was the worst flood she had ever seen.

“Though the flood of ’96 was bad, this was much worse,” she said.

In the hamlet of Callicoon, the interstate bridge to Pennsylvania was closed by Saturday evening.

The Callicoon Creek raged fiercely as waters pounded the small bridge near the Delaware Youth Center. The bridge to the center’s outside recreational area, which was closed, survived any damage.

At about 5:30 a.m., just south of the youth center, at the Upper Delaware Campground, 23 people had to be rescued with a prop drive boat by the National Park Service (NPS).

Across the river, along River Road in Pennsylvania, Sharleen Kall was ordered by the fire marshals to evacuate her house, and at first she refused.

“But when I saw about 10 of those campers and other debris floating down the river, I decided to leave,” she said.

Further south on the Pennsylvania side at Tammany Flats, several residents had to be evacuated and one person was rescued by boat by NPS personnel.

In Hortonville, the Town of Delaware barn was inundated with waters from the Callicoon Creek.

“We lost about $30,000 worth of sand we use on roads,” said town supervisor Bill Moran. The water damaged several outlying buildings at the site. “The barn still stands but the damage to equipment and supplies was big.”

He could not estimate the cost of the damage.

Moran said he had not yet surveyed the properties along River Road, north of the hamlet of Callicoon. Many of those homes are right on the river.

Moran said that residents along River Road were told to evacuate on Saturday evening since the river was initially predicted to crest at 2:00 a.m. on Sunday morning.

“Second homeowners went home but I’m not sure if regular residents evacuated,” Moran said. “They were told to go to the Grover Hermann Hospital on Route 97 below Callicoon.”

Hospital officials said no one had appeared on Saturday evening.

In Cochecton, CR 114, which connects Route 97 and the Cochecton Bridge, was closed because of water gushing from a large culvert that carries water from the hills above the hamlet. The bridge was not affected by the flood.

In Hankins, the Red Barn Campground had to be evacuated and lost about 30 camper vehicles in the river.