SHERBURNE – This week is Severe Weather Awareness week for New York State and as spring rains fall, many are reflecting on the deluge that caused so many problems last June.

Mayor of the Village of Sherburne William Acee explained that on a Friday night the village was hit by a flash flood that resulted in approximately four inches of rain. Another four inches came from the north east coordinate of the township. This resulted in approximately nine inches total that flooded the village in a very short period of time.

“I’ve never seen that happen before,” said Acee and explained that individual homes were affected, as well as roads and Mad Brook.

“It did cause enough damage to meet the Federal threshold for monetary reimbursement for the County and municipalities,” said Matt Beckwith, Director of Emergency Management from the Chenango County Bureau of Fire.

While this funding helped with road repair and stream clean up, individual residents in the area did not qualify for assistance. Acee explained that there were not enough people who were impacted, as outlined by federal guidelines.

“There was a lot of people in need, especially the trailer park,” said Acee. “We slipped through the cracks.”

When asked what his main responsibilities were during and after the flooding, he said, “Obviously, safety is our number one concern. Second to that would be to protect public services.” He explained that top priorities were to keep the water clean and the sewer system working properly.

Clara Marcella Brooks is located near Shawler Brook Road, which was an area heavily impacted. She paid approximately $3,000 to repair damages to her house and is currently shopping for flood insurance, but is deterred because there is a $700 survey fee.

“I’m kind of upset because I can’t afford $3,000 a year or more (for repairs),” said Brooks. “I’m trying to get flood insurance. Do you know how hard that is?”

Another Sherburne resident, who asked to remain anonymous, was also on the look out for insurance after her house was filled with five to six inches of water. She was not covered under home insurance and had to pay out of pocket for a company to come in and dry out her floors. This is the third time she has experienced flooding at her residence.

“It’s a terrible feeling – you can’t stop the water when it’s coming,” she said.