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Sun comes out in Binghamton, but flood waters remain

Evacuees, at the Red Cross shelter at Binghamton University's events center.
Matt Richmond
/
WSKG
Evacuees, at the Red Cross shelter at Binghamton University's events center.

The Red Cross is running the Broome County area's biggest shelter, at Binghamton University. It's hit capacity, with about 1,700 people sleeping on cots on the gym floor.

The university provides some of the food, there are enough cots for everybody and things aren't too bad there, according to 91-year-old Josephine Edwards.

But she does have one complaint, which she brings up as a loudspeaker blares overhead.

"Ask him to lower their voice!" she squawks.  "I could understand it better if he weren't so loud!"

Outside, rescue workers continued to deal with a flood whose water doesn't seem to be going anywhere for now. While the rivers have crested, and there has been little rain since Wednesday night, officials are still urging the evacuated to resist going home.

Broome County Executive Patrick Brennan says each town will decide when it's safe for people to return home.

"Each municipality knows what they have to do now, there's a lot of resources for them to get that done."

Governor Andrew Cuomo surveyed the flood zone again on Friday, this time with FEMA's official Philip Parr. On Thursday, President Obama made an  emergency declaration for the parts of New York hit by flooding.

Cuomo said evacuations are complete and, now that the rivers have crested, it's time to figure out the extent of the damage. 

WSKG/Southern Tier reporter for the Innovation Trail.
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