A storm dropped about eight inches of rain Sunday at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, N.Y., causing more than 130 homes on base to suffer damage. (U.S. Army )
More than 130 residents in on-base housing at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, N.Y., requested maintenance in their homes because of damage caused by extreme flooding from storms that bombarded New York’s Hudson Valley on Sunday.
Col. Anthony Bianchi, the West Point garrison commander, said Wednesday during a news conference that up to 20 of those homes are severely damaged with standing water and debris.
“We’re a lot better off than we thought we were initially,” he said of the storm that brought about 8 inches of rainfall in one day. “There is some significant damage though.”
Most of the damage was in the housing area, base officials said.
Balfour Beatty, the private company that manages housing for West Point, said it has sent maintenance employees from other properties in the region to assist, but some repairs can’t be assessed until the drying process is complete.
There are 742 homes occupied on post, the company said. Of those, 66 suffered flood damage, mainly to basements and crawl spaces, and 26 homes experienced roof leaks that have already been repaired.
Only one family has had to be temporarily moved from their home, the company said in a statement.
“We’re working very closely with West Point leadership and have multiple daily meetings with them to assess progress. Our team has been checking with each household to ascertain damage, address concerns, and answer questions,” Balfour Beatty said.
At least nine buildings on post were severely affected with officials describing water intrusions, debris and broken air conditioning systems. Four roads were washed out, and base officials asked people to avoid traveling to the area, if possible.
Residents and base personnel also must navigate downed trees that left a significant amount of debris on roads and sidewalks. Work crews are also clearing debris from storm drains as the National Weather Service predicts heavy rain in the area Friday and through the weekend.
There was little impact to cadet areas and summer training has continued, base officials said.
“Be patient, yet don’t be quiet. If you don’t think something is being taken care of, please speak up to the right channels,” Bianchi said. “We’re going to continue to assess the damage, continue to collect data and put together some estimates … to ask for assistance as needed.”
