Flood Advisory

The National Weather Service (NWS) in Burlington has extended the Flood Advisory for rain and melting snow in eastern St. Lawrence County in northern New York until 1130 am EDT Thursday. This includes the Potsdam area.

Potsdam Fire has also communicated with officials from Brookfield Renewable Power and they have released the following statement:

"Due to above average precipitation combined with results from melting snow, flows of the Raquette River are currently much higher than normal and are approaching historic levels. In an attempt to control increasing inflows and minimize flooding, Brookfield Renewable Power is now releasing 8,500 cubic feet per second (cfs) into the Raquette River. This is twice the volume of an average release for this time of year. Brookfield is continuously monitoring the situation and will be making adjustments as necessary in its attempt to control river flows.

The public will see high flows along the entire length of the Raquette River for the next several days and should not go in, on, or near the river during this period."

Potsdam Fire Department also reminds you to stay out of the water and away from the river's edge. The combination of very fast water velocities and the cold water temperatures will create life threatening conditions for anyone in the water.

Potsdam Fire will be going door-to-door distributing flyers with safety tips in flood prone areas. We ask that you to stay tune to the local news media and be alert for changes in the water levels. Additional flood safety information is currently available from the New York State Division of Homeland Security & Emergency Services - Office of Emergency Management.

Flood safety: http://www.dhses.ny.gov/oem/documents/2011-Flood-Awareness.pdf or http://www.dhses.ny.gov/oem/safety-info/publicsafety/floodprepare.cfm

Potsdam Fire Department can be contacted in emergencies by calling 9-1-1 or

DIRECTLY at the following numbers:

EMERGENCIES ONLY: 315-265-3311 or NON-EMERGENCY: 315-265-4397