Nevele Golf Course was underwater on Monday.

Usually this time of year is marked by the dreaded specter of income tax deadlines. But, for the second time in three years, the area was hit by hard, steady rain that dumped more water into local streams than they could handle. Fields became ponds, wooded areas became swamps and area roads became obstacle courses that forced travelers onto unfamiliar roads or kept them at home.

But Tuesday, even with its overcast skies, was a welcome sight for many in the Town of Wawarsing and surrounding areas as the clouds above decided not to dump any more rain on the waterlogged communities. As some area residents were bailing out wet basements or were preparing to return to their homes, the community was relieved that the only casualties were goods and not people.

On Monday morning, Supervisor James Dolaway signed the necessary paperwork to declare a state of emergency for the Town of Wawarsing. The designation expired at 4 pm on Tuesday. After the papers were signed Dolaway toured large portions of the town to inspect locations that had been hit during the 2005 flood. Throughout the day, the community's own local radio station, 107.9 W-ELV, provided listeners with updated information and offered safety tips for flood situations.

Weather: The Journal's meteorological expert, Dan Ventola offered some startling numbers. "The area doubled its average rainfall for the month over a span of 24 hours." To put those numbers in perspective, Ventola offered this comparison, "At this point in April, a place like Poughkeepsie typically averages about two inches of rain – generally giving them about four inches for the month. This April, Poughkeepsie has 6.97 inches with a large part of the month left to go."

A ditch is carved by excess water along a road in Napanoch. Area residents use household items to stem tide of rising water.

Emergency Response: The Town of Wawarsing's Highway Department started its duties early Sunday morning by clearing the roads of snow. Once the precipitation moved to rain the Highway Department was dispatched throughout the town to keep an eye on trouble spots. "They worked all night," said Highway Superintendent Tom Slater. "I can't say enough about how good they did. They all worked together and did a great job."

Kerhonkson Fire Department members, Kevin Mutz and Chris Depuy, were out surveying the situation throughout their district. They spent a significant amount of time eyeing Mill Street in Kerhonkson. The street, which contains a handful of houses, is right next to the Rondout Creek, which had been rising streadily throughout the night and day. The community's fire department evacuated some of the street's residents during the 2005 flood and were preparing to do so again if conditions required. Early Monday afternoon, Depuy estimated, "We are about 75% of where we were in 2005 [in terms of water]. The water seems to be rising about a foot-and-a-half every hour."

The Village of Ellenville had to evacuate Building B of the Country Club Arms and house residents in the community's school. Village Manager Elliott Auerbach wanted to thank Superintendent Lisa Wiles and the American Red Cross for their cooperation.

Travel: Motorists traveling in either direction on US Route 209 found that they had to snake their way through several detours – three just between the Town of Marbletown and the Village of Ellenville. And even some of the detour routes, like Turkey Hill Road between Route 44/55 and the State Trooper barracks, were in danger of being closed due to rising waters. A motorist who thought he could get through the water was forced to abandon his car as the water came up to its windows. The car sat there empty for most of Monday. By Tuesday morning, the waters had receded in that part of Route 209 and the car was removed. Below is a complete list of the roads that were closed due to the storm:

Parts of Route 209 Benedict Road Berme Road Brandy Brook Road Camp Road Foordmore Road Geiger Road Hang Glider Road Hart Street

Lundy Road Meckler Road Nevele Road Oak Ridge Road Old Minisink Road Port Ben Road Rouges Harbor Road Sherman Road

All but one of them, Oak Ridge Road in Greenfield Park, was open as of Tuesday. Town of Wawarsing Highway Superintendent Tom Slater explained that a culvert collapsed leading to concerns about the road's safety. "We don't know when it happened. We drove over that road several times without noticing anything and then all of a sudden… You are going to find other things over the next few days as the water recedes."

Aftermath: Slater went on to say that a representative from the Federal Emergency Management Administration (FEMA) should visit the town by the end of the week to assess damage. Slater said he hoped that FEMA would be willing to pick up the tab, "for some of the culverts that were 'going' in 2005 that went with this rain."

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