08-05-2025
Jordan and Elbridge assess flood damage after weathering the storm overnight
JORDAN, N.Y. (WSYR) — The water may be receding, but the Jordan and Elbridge communities have headed straight into cleanup mode after severe flooding overnight Tuesday.
PHOTOS: Flash floods in Jordan causes village damage
Emergency personnel and volunteers have been working tirelessly around the clock into Wednesday as people call in their flooded basements and home damage.
'Last night, the big thing was just getting people safely out of their homes and, you know, out of harm's way because, I mean…it's hard to picture but there were rapids literally going across the street,' Bill Simpson, an engineer with the Jordan Volunteer Fire Company, said.
Tyler Fietta, another volunteer, said he has lived in Jordan for 23 years and has never seen rainfall like he saw Tuesday evening.
'It was long, grueling…but we pushed through it,' Fietta said.
Kevin Wilcken was forced to evacuate his home with his family in the middle of the night. Despite firefighters pumping his basement since the early morning, approximately three feet of water remains.
'It was about up to my thigh, you know, several feet of water,' Wilcken said. 'The cars did okay, but some damage in all of them…water inside all of them. We got out alright, though.'
Down the road in Elbridge, Keith Alderman found himself staring at thousands of dollars worth of damage to his basement.
'I went down…checked the wall and the windows, and it seemed like there was a lot of water, and I looked at the window again, and I saw a crack starting to form,' Alderman said.
After Alderman saw a crack start to form in the foundation of his basement wall, he said he had to get out as soon as he saw debris rush in.
'The debris was about…up to my knees, and so I had to climb out of there and call 911 to try and get it pumped out,' he said.
Now it is time for the community to begin the rebuilding stage.
'You don't think about it happening to you,' Wilcken said. 'You just try to hold on to those things that make you grateful and, I think, try not to get too far ahead of things.'
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