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State of emergency over Lake Ontario flooding in NY

Published  May 2, 2017 4:53pm EDT
New York
FOX 5 New York
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Lake Ontario flooded communities along its southern shore in western New York. (Courtesy of the Governor's Press Office)

ROCHESTER, N.Y. (AP) — Gov. Andrew Cuomo has declared a state of emergency to free up resources to help communities hit by flooding along the Lake Ontario's southern shore in western New York.

The Democratic governor says Tuesday a state response team has been created. It consists of the National Guard, Department of Homeland Security, Department of Environmental Conservation, State Police and Monroe County Sheriff's Office.

Cuomo says equipment including generators and pumps will be made available to suburban Rochester towns where wind-driven floodwaters have been affecting hundreds of homes.

The National Weather Service has issued flood watches and warnings for Lake Ontario's southern and eastern shoreline from the Niagara River to the St. Lawrence River.