Mud, rocks and trees still cake properties in wake of Tropical Storm Fred

ITALY, N.Y. (WHEC) — There is still remarkable damage to see in the southern Finger Lakes in the wake of Tropical Storm Fred.

This afternoon, however, News10NBC learned there is so much damage, the region will almost certainly quality for federal disaster aid.

But while the decision-makers figure that out, there are families worried about their home and money. So we went down to visit them Wednesday.

"All this rock here and dirt was all the way through the yard," Kelly Boser said as she walked me through her property.

Flood water from Tropical Storm Fred pushed tons of mud, rock and tree stumps around and under her trailer. Parts of the region got up seven inches of rain over three days.

"I guess you don’t realize how powerful water really is until you see something like that," she said.

There is still water flowing down the creek bed in the Town of Italy near Naples.

Neighbors say it’s usually dry right now.

At its peak, the rushing water tore through the insulation under Boser’s trailer and blew out her furnace.

Brean: "What’s keeping you up at night? What’s stressing you out right now?"

Kelly Boser: "Just being ready for winter. Really — that is the biggest thing for me right now."

Crews from some of the towns in Yates County removed the pile of mud from Boser’s home one scoop at a time. Boser has insurance but she got a letter from her insurance company saying "there is no coverage in her policy" for this kind of damage.

The storm caused millions of dollars of damage in the southern Finger Lakes, especially Steuben County.

Boser lives in Yates County.

Yates County says just the cost of road repair is more than $200,000.

Yates County Administrator Noni Flynn puts the estimate of damage region-wide at more than $30 million.

Here’s the good news about that: Those figures mean Yates county and the region almost certainly qualify for FEMA help and money.

"We finally owned a piece of property. We finally had security," Boser said. "And now it’s like starting over again. And that’s exactly how it feels — like I’m starting over again."

Wednesday Senators Chuck Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand said they asked FEMA to have its disaster assessment teams come into these communities and then they asked FEMA to unlock aid to the municipalities and families that are hurting

Homeowners should contact their county’s emergency management office.

In Yates County, the number is 315-536-3000. In Steuben County, it’s 607-664-2910.