Heavy rainfall and flash flooding across Rensselaer County forced the closure of several roads and knocked out power for thousands late Wednesday afternoon.

At around 6 p.m., Rensselaer County Executive Steve McLaughlin declared a state of emergency in a post on Facebook.

Residents are advised to avoid unnecessary travel until further notice.

More than 4,000 National Grid customers in Rensselaer County had lost power by 7 p.m., with that number decreasing to 585 by around midnight, according to the company's website.

Frank Gazeley, assistant chief of the West Sand Lake Fire Department, says they were receiving many calls in their area because of the heavy rains.

He predicted it would take several hours to clear away the road debris and other damage caused by the flooding.

"We try to tell people, when there's standing water on the road, when there's water flowing over the road, do not cross," Gazeley said. "You have no idea what's underneath that. We closed the roads down. We're asking people to be patient with us. There's a reason we don't want you to go through some of those areas."

Gazeley advises people to make sure their generators and sump pumps are working well.

He says not to be afraid to call 9-1-1 for assistance

 

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WEATHER RESOURCES