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Niagara County leaders prepare for potential flooding

Many community members and businesses have still not fully recovered from the 2017 storm.

NIAGARA COUNTY, N.Y. — James McDonough has lived in Olcott for 80 years, and he's never worried about the lake levels as much as he does now. 

"Right now it's fairly calm out here, but when the wind picks up, it shakes the whole house," he said.

McDonough told 2 On Your Side the bulk of his home's damage is from a massive storm in 2017, one that's still fresh for his community members and elected officials. 

"The northeast winds drove our lake into our lake bank. Six-foot, seven-foot, eight-foot-high waves just crashed over our businesses, our residences. It just ate our shoreline away," explained Niagara County Legislator David Godfrey, who represents the 10th district. 

The coming weeks pose another threat -- the fear of reliving that devastation all over again.

According to the United States Army Corps of Engineers, Lake Ontario water levels have risen six inches over the last month and are expected to rise another 11 as it continues to get warmer. 

That's why Governor Andrew Cuomo is sending additional resources to the surrounding communities.

Crews with Niagara County Emergency Services are also getting ready.

Jonathan Schultz, the Niagara County Director of Emergency Services, said, "We're also starting to stage multiple equipment and supplies in various locations across the county, and then we do have to start doing mitigation measures for residences and businesses because of the lake levels."

Part of the problem is many Niagara County residents and businesses still haven't fully recovered from the 2017 flood.

Niagara County Legislator John Syracuse said: "There's still individuals waiting for their reimbursement for Lakefront remediation. That's from 2017. There's people that still have not received their money, and it's two years."

In the meantime, McDonough watches the waves crash from his porch, hoping for a solution.

"We gotta let more water out. That's what we gotta do," he said.

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