After a widespread snow melt-off, due to record breaking warm January temperatures, and non-stop rain over the past 24 hours, people in Gowanda were keeping a nervous eye on Cattaraugus Creek and the brooks and streams that feed into it.
Destructive flooding in 2009 and 2014 caused widespread damage in Gowanda and left residents fearing it could happen again.
Gowanda is still working to finalize financing to construct a diversion channel around the village to handle future flood water. But after the previous two big floods, NYS funding helped Gowanda clean out debris from its waterways to prevent blockage and flooding.
Gowanda Emergency Manager Nick Crassi said those efforts are showing results as no flooding occurred during the recent melt-off and rain - because large amounts of water continued to flow out through Cattaraugus Creek without any problems.
However, water from melted snow and rain did cause some minor problems in basements.
7 Eyewitness News Reporter Ed Reilly has more in his report.
